How long had it been?
by Autumn Artist
Summary: *First Fan Fict* When Dave Strider is abducted, his older brother Dirk will go to any lengths to get him back.
1. Waiting

Okay y'all, this is my very first fanfict. I haven't read much of Homestuck, I read up to Act 3, so please forgive me if I leave out any characters or details. I really love the idea of Dave and Dirk brotherly-love stuff. Not Stridercest so much.

One thing that I feel like I should mention, I don't like a lot of cussing, and I know that the Striders' cuss, a lot. So if you notice the lack of foul language, it's because of that very reason.

Anyway, without further ado, I present to you "How long has it been?"

Chapter 1: Waiting

How long had it been, 6 weeks almost? The past 6 weeks had been absolute hell for Dirk Strider.

Six weeks ago, his 13 year old brother Dave was taken from him. Not by CPS like Dave's social worker had threatened many times before; but off the streets in broad day light.

His little brother, Dave Strider, was kidnapped and there wasn't a damn thing he could do but wait.

Wait for what? Wait for a body to be found? Wait for that phone call in hopes of the voice on the other end was his brother? No, to hell with that! He was done waiting!

He has been waiting for six long, horrifying weeks for the police to do their job and find his baby brother; and they haven't done squat but put out flyers and a halfass newsreport.

Hell, he had gotten more information from Dave's friends than from the police! Dave's closest friends; John, Jade, and Rose gave all the information they could to Dirk and the police. From what Dave's friends had told them, Dave was walking home from school at 3:00 pm. John's dad had picked up John and Jade and asked Dave if he wanted a ride. Dave respectfully declined the ride, but thanked Mr. Egbert anyway, saying that he really need to clear his head. When they left, John had noticed a white van parked infront of the school, but didn't think anything of it. He saw Dave walk down the sidewalk, but what John didn't see was the white van slowly following Dave. When John called the Strider residents at 6:00 pm to check up on Dave, that's when all hell broke loose.

Dirk still hears the phone call that turned his world upside down ringing in his ears. "Hello?", Dirk Strider said answering the phone. "Hey Bro, is Dave there?" With those three words, Dirk's blood drained. "He isn't over there with you?" "No, he isn't. He said he was walking home today." Dirk dropped the phone.

At that moment, Dirk's world came crashing down. Oh no no no no no, this couldn't be happening! This had to be some mistake! Dave couldn't be missing, he couldn't! 'Okay, Dirk, calm down. I'm sure he's around here somewhere. No need to jump to conclusions.' Maybe Dave was still mad at him from their argument last night and was hiding from him.

Dirk basically tore the apartment apart looking everywhere for his brother, but he couldn't find a trace of him. He extended his search beyond his apartment door and was banging on every apartment door on the floor to see if anyone had seen him or heard anything from him. Nothing. He even went to the basement where Dave liked to hang out when he was upset. Nada.

At this point, Dirk was completely out of his mind with worry. It seemed that Dirk's deepest, darkest fear was coming true. That something bad had happened to his little brother. What should he do now? Should he strike out and try to find him on his own, or should he call the police and let them find him? 'Yeah the police! What was I thinking? That should have been the first thing I done!' Dirk ran back up to his apartment and called the police.

The police came, got Dirk's and Dave's friends' statements, took some potentail evidence, and asked some tough questions. "Mr. Strider, did you and your brother have any arguments within the past 24-48 hours.", the officer asked. "We had a pretty bad one last night. It was so stupid, we both said somethings we didn't mean. I-I ended up taking his phone away. We haven't spoken since then.", Dirk shakenly spoke. "Mr. Strider, I know this much be extremely hard for you", the police officer said sympathetically, "but I have a few more questions to ask. And this is just protocol. But sir, do you have any anger issues or have ever hurt your brother in any way?" 'Oh great, this is just great! Now I'm being interrogated and they think I would actually hurt my own brother! No matter how angry I was I would NEVER lay a hand on him!', "What? You think I could've hurt Dave? I would NEVER lay a hand on him!" , Dirk unleashed his anger at the officer. "No, Mr. Strider, it's just protocol." "No, no I'm sorry. I'm not thinking clearly. I could never hurt him. I would never forgive myself if I ever did.", Dirk answered with his head in his hands. "I understand, Mr. Strider. Just one more question. Have you made any enemies that might 'have it out for you'?" Now Dirk had been around, he has made friends at the top of the latter and enemies in the darkest allies. But who would stoop so low as taking out their anger on their enemy's kid brother? "No, none that I can think of right now?" "That's understandable. If you have any questions or if you have anymore information, please give us a call.", the officer said handing Dirk her card. "Thank you."

Unfortunately, when the police left, they called in the Wicked Witch of The West, I mean Dave's social worker. "I knew it! I knew this would happen one of these days!", the social worker screamed at Dirk. "I should have taken him away from you the moment I saw you! A 17 year old could never raise a child!" Yes, Dirk was 17 when Dave was born. Dave was born 3 months premature due to a car accident that their mother was in. She was 6 months pregnant, and someone pulled out in front of her an rammed her. The force and trauma of the accident caused her to go into labor. The doctors gave her an ultimatum, either she would live or her baby would live. To Dirk's knowledge, her last word's were "Save my baby." A few minutes after midnight, the day after Dave's untimely birth, Cynthia Strider finally let go. But not before Dirk had the chance to make a promise to his mother. A promise to always be there for Dave and to never let anything happen to him. Right now, Dirk felt like he had went back on his promise

Right now, it took every last drop of self-control to not scream his lungs out at that woman. But, he bit his tongue, knowing full well that screaming wouldn't solve a thing. "Listen Ms. 'Bitchy', I mean Ms. Vicky, do you have any fathomable idea of what I am going through right now? My little brother is out there and I'm trying my best to help find him! So if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you to leave as you are in my residents.", Dirk snapped. As much as Ms. Vicky, disliked Dirk, she had to obey his order. "The moment he is found, I'll be back.", she barked as she slammed the door.

And just like that, Dirk was alone. After a moment, the silence was overwhelming and reality hit like a ton of bricks. His little brother was gone. Dirk sunk to his knees and let out his anguish.

Dirk remember it all as if were yesterday. Looking back, he realized that he hadn't done everything he could have to find Dave. He let the police handle it. They said they would call with any information. Well, six weeks later and not a damn word! Nothing, all those sleepless nights he stayed up by the phone. All those hours he spent calling every police and news station in the state and still nothing. Now, he was sick of it! It was time he took matters into his own hands.


	2. Where to start?

First off, I would like to thank all those how have subscribed to this story already! It feels my heart with sheer joy when I open up my email and see notifications that my story has been subscribed to! So from the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you so much!

Here's chapter 2! Since I am off the summer from college, I will be uploading a new chapter ATLEAST once a week.

Chapter 2: Where to start?

Where would he start? Dave could be anywhere by now, he could be halfway around the country or halfway around the world for he knew. 'Okay, think Strider. Their's gotta be something you can do, someone you could call...', Dirk's thoughts ran. He started to think of all his friends he made in high places. "What about Jake? Oh course! Why didn't I think of that before!" Dirk's long time friend Jake English has connections to the FBI, surely he can help him find his brother.

"This is English.", Jake English spoke in a formal, professional tone. "Jake, it's Dirk. Look man, I need your help and I don't know where else to turn." "Oh Dirk! Good to here from you my old friend! Have you heard anything else about Dave?" "No man, that's why I'm calling. I've been waiting to hear something, anything, back from the police. But I haven't heard a thing in six weeks and I can't take it anymore! I'm taking matters into my own hands now!" "No need to say another word my friend, I am already on it. Dave was taken on October..." "3rd", Dirk finished for him. "Oh right, right. Okay let me see. I'm searching the system for surveillance videos around the area of the school on that date at around 3:00 pm. Okay we have a surveillance of the school at about 2:45 pm, a white van pulls up to the curve about 100 feet from the school. The school bell rings at 3:00 pm, I see three kids walk out from the school. It looks like two girls and one boy, or two boys and one girl. The kids walk to a black SUV parked in front, two of them get in, but the other one doesn't." "THAT'S DAVE!", Dirk screams over the phone. "Oh, that mean's we're in the right track. Okay now, we see Dave walk past the SUV and on down the street, and hold on, that white van seems to be following him." Dirk felt his heart beat faster and faster. "There's another surveillance in front of a liquor store near the school around the same time. The van seems to have stopped in front of the liquor store. Okay, approximately 10 minutes after the school got out, Dave seems to be in front of the liquor store, and...Oh my God! I am so, so terrible sorry my friend. But this video just shown Dave being abducted." Jake's word hit Dirk like a thousand knives. His knees went weak as be collapsed on the floor. "Dirk, Dirk my friend are you there?" "Y-y-yea-ah", Dirk stammered out. "Wait a minute, a moment before the abduction, on the surveillance camera, you can see the license plate of the van. Let me enlarge th...uh oh, Dirk we have a problem." "What?", Dirk sniffled. "The license plate is from California. That means Dave was most likely taken over state lines." At this point, Dirk was hyperventilating. "This is FBI jurisdiction my friend, but thankfully. My connections in the FBI specialize in child abduction cases. I am contacting them now. Don't worry my friend, if anyone can find him, they can." "Thank-thank you Jake!" "Don't think anything of my friend! As soon as I hear anything, I will give you a call and let you know." "O-okay, thank you, thank you so much Jake! Please, if you hear anything, anything at all, let me know!" "I will me friend!". As Dirk hung up the phone, he let out a loud agonizing cry.

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	3. Hell

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! They are chicken soup to the author's soul!

Here's the notorious argument that I went on about for the last two chapters.

Chapter 3: Hell

'Where am I? How long have I been out of it?', a young boy questions as he stirs from another drug induced sleep. The boy looks around, noticing his surroundings are different from when he went to sleep. Even though his surroundings are different, he knows this place all too well. Hell, which is exactly what this poor boy's life had been like for the past 6 weeks. As he got up off the dirty mattress on the floor, his little body ached from the previous day's "activities". As he stiffly walks around the large room, he notices the other kids sitting around. "Well, if it isn't sleeping beauty.", one of them teases, "Finally decide to wake up." "No princess, I'm sleep walking.", the boy sarcastically replied. "Rough day, yesterday, eh Strider?" "Oh God, I thought it was never going to end!", Dave replied resting his head the table.

Dave closed his eyes. He thought about yesterday and everyday since this hell became his home six weeks ago. Six weeks ago, he was just a regular kid. Went to school, had friends, the whole 9 yards. He lived with his bro, life was pretty sweet. But weeks leading up to his abduction, life at the Strider household was pretty hectic. Since Dirk was making a name for himself DJing, he was in and out of the apartment without so much as a hello or good bye to Dave. Dave was starting to feel neglected, and was staying more and more over at John's house. A week before Dave was abducted, and unbeknownst to Dirk, Dave had basically just decided to live with John and his dad, as his brother was never home. John's dad didn't mind at all, he thought it was better for him to stay with them than by himself any day. Two days before the abduction, Dirk had come home for the first time in a week. When he discovered Dave wasn't there, he had an absolute shit fit. He basically stormed over to the Egberts' place and drug Dave home. That's how that stupid argument began.

"DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN! DO YOU HEAR ME?", Dirk screamed at Dave. "I HAD NO CHOICE BRO! YOU WERE IN AND OUT ALL THE TIME AND LEFT ME HERE BY MYSELF! WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?" "I DON'T GIVE A SHIT, YOU DO NOT LEAVE WITHOUT TELLING ME WHERE YOU ARE GOING!" "WHY? YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR THE PAST THREE WEEKS! TODAY WAS THE FIRST TIME I SEEN YOU IN WHAT, TWO WEEKS ALMOST?" "THAT'S NOT THE POINT! I'M THE ADULT, I HAVE TO LEAVE, I HAVE TO WORK!" "FOR TEN DAYS STRAIGHT, BRO? TEN DAYS AGO WAS THE LAST TIME THAT I SAW YOU. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THINK! FOR ALL I KNEW YOU COULD HAVE ABANDONED ME TO BECOME THAT FAMOUS DJ YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO BE!" "WHAT ABOUT THAT BITCHY SOCIAL WORKER OF YOUR'S DAVE? WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF SHE CAME BY AND NEITHER ONE OF US WERE HERE?" "SHE ALREADY CAME BY HERE DIRK, TWICE! THE FIRST TIME I LIED TO HER, TOLD HER THAT YOU HAD JUST GONE SOMEWHERE AND WOULD BE BACK SOON. THE SECOND TIME I DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER ANSWERING THE DOOR, SHE BANGED ON OUR DOOR FOR TEN MINUTES! THE THIRD TIME BRO, SHE WOULD HAVE BROUGHT COPS WITH HER. AT LEAST IF SHE HAD FOUND ME AT THE EGBERTS', SHE WOULD HAVE LET ME STAY THERE AND NOT AT SOME STRANGER'S HOUSE IN THE SYSTEM!" "WELL FINE DAVE, GO LIVE THEM! I DON'T CARE! THAT WAY, I WON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOUR UNGRATEFUL ASS ANYMORE." "WELL THEN, IF THAT'S HOW YOU FEEL DIRK, MAYBE I WILL!" "GOOD!" "GOOD!"

That was the last time the Strider brothers' spoke to each other. After the fierce argument, Dave had run up to his room. He buried his head into a pillow and screamed what was left of his lungs after the argument with his brother. After the screams followed tears. How could his brother say such things to him? Basically telling him that he didn't want him anymore and to go live with friends. Course he didn't really help the situation by screaming back, but dammit he had a right to! Bro had, by legal definition, abandoned him. Maybe he should go live with the Egberts'; hell, the were the closest thing to a normal family that he had and treated him as such. But he didn't want to move in with them. He wanted to be with his bro, his brother, the man who raised him since birth and had sacrificed so much for him, trying to keep what was left of his family together. Maybe he should go apologize after everything cools down.

When Dave got up for school the next morning, Bro was passed out on the couch with a beer in his hand. 'Oh great, he's gonna be drunk', Dave thought to himself. 'Maybe the apology should be best left until after school.' Dave a wrote a note to Bro saying that he had gone to school an pinned it to the fridge. 'Maybe he'll see it.' Dave was about to walk out the front door when he glanced at Bro one more time. "Bye Bro", with that Dave walked out the door, and that was the last time he saw his brother.

"Daavvveee, woohoo, Strider wake up." Red teary eyes woke up from their daydream only to be greeted by a waving hand in his face. "Yo earth to Strider, you alive?" "Barely.", Dave retorted. Dave barely had a moment to snap out of it before the only door to the room opened up. "Alright you brats, time for work, clients are waiting.", a firm deep voice came from the other side of the door. 'Oh great', Dave thought. Outside that door was the literal, physical embodiment of the word hell.

The reviews, keep 'em comin'. The more reviews I get, the more chapters I upload at a time, REMEMBER THAT!


	4. News

Short chapter but it's what I call a 'bridge chapter', meaning that it helps connects the pieces to the puzzle.

Chapter 4: News

Dirk tossed and turned from another nightmare induced sleep. Nightmares that have plagued him for the past six weeks. "No...Dave...", Dirk murmurs in his sleep.

Dirk stands in a dark room, disoriented. "Ah, man. Where am I?", Dirk said shaking his head. He hears soft sobbing in the darkness. "Hello? Anyone out there?" "B-B-Brr-Bro?", a soft voice cries out from the darkness. "DAVE?", Dirk cries out into the darkness. "B-Bro!", the voices cries out again. Dirk takes off, running aimlessly toward the voice. Suddenly, a bright light illuminates an a figure in the darkness. Bro turned towards the figure, and his heart sunk. The figure was his little brother, tied to a chair and half-naked if not for an oversized t-shirt. "Oh my God...DAVE!", Dirk races toward him. "Oh my God Dave, I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry!", Dirk cried as he reached his brother, engulfing him in a huge hug. "Oh my God Dave, I'd thought I'd never see you again!", Dirk cried to his brother. " Bro, please help me!", Dave cried into his brother's chest. "Oh Dave, don't you worry; Big Bro's right here to get you out Little Man!" Once Dirk untied Dave, the Strider brothers embraced into huge warm hug. "Who-Who did this to you Little Man?", Dirk tearfully asked, cupping Dave's small face. "Oh, that would be us...", a dark, menessing voice came from the darkness. The voice caused Dirk to pull Dave closer to himself. "Who are you?", Dirk demanded. "You'll find out soon enough." Suddenly four dark, strong arms came up from behind Dirk, and grabbed ahold of both of his arm, separating the two brothers. "AHH", Dirk cried out, trying to reach for his brother. Like Dirk, a pair of equally strong arm came up from behind Dave and pulled him back into the darkness. "NO! Bro help me!", Dave cried out. "Let me go!", Dirk cries as he struggles to get free and retrieve his brother. A gut wrenching cry escapes the darkness. "NO DAVE!"

Ring ring, ring ring. "Wha-what? Dave?", Dirk hastefully awakes from his hellish nightmare. Ring ring, ring ring. Dirk looks over the small coffee table by the couch to see the phone ringing.

"He-Hello?", Dirk groggily answers. "Dirk, I have some news!", Jake English announces over the phone. "What? News? Have they found Dave?", Dirk excitedly blabbers into the phone. "No, no my friend, not yet.", Jake said sadly, "But, my connections were able to track the van back to Sacramento, California. Also, it appears that this van is also connected to several other abductions around the West coast. Dirk, I'm sorry to say this my friend, but this may be connected to an international sex ring. And it looks like Dave may have been traded in it." Dirk felt like he was going to throw up. Just the sheer thought, of somebody doing 'that' to his baby brother, it made him...Dirk had to put down the phone for a minute. Jake could hear Dirk vomitting into a trash can. "Dirk, are you okay?", Jake sympathetically asked. "No, no I'm not okay.", Dirk sobbingly replied. Jake chose his next words carefully. "Dirk, that's not all. We tracked the owner of the van. He runs a bar in Sacramento that has had dealings with...prostitution in the past."


	5. The Plan

What the heck, y'all have been good. So here's another bridge chapter!

Chapter 5: The Plan

If you could measure human anger on a thermometer, Dirk's would be off the charts by now. "Now, Dirk, listen to me, the FBI is already on it. They are already working on the case and assembling a team. I know what you're thinking Dirk. DON'T DO IT!", Jake warned Dirk. "I'm sorry, Jake. But after all this time, it's time to take action. My little brother is out there, waiting for me. I have to go find him, and I will not rest until I do." "Dirk be reasonable, let the FBI handle this!" "There's no talking me out of this, or changing my mind, Jake. Are you going to help me?" "AH, you Striders are so stubborn! And of course I'm going to help you! There's no way I'm gonna leave my best mate and my little best mate all alone without eyes in the sky." "Good to know.", Dirk smirked. "Are you sure you want to do this?", Jake questioned one more time. "Oh course! I made a promise a long time ago, to protect Dave and be there for him whenever he needs me. I went back on that promise six weeks ago, and I'll be damned if I'm doing it again!" "Okay, my friend. Please be careful, and don't do anything foolish." "I can't guarantee that. Oh and uh Jake, when's the next flight from Houston to Sacramento fly out?" "You Striders,", Jake shook his head, "10:15 am. I'm already booking your flight." "Thank you so much man! I could never repay you for what you've done!" "Think absolutely nothing of it my good man! I'll keep you posted. Bring him home Dirk." "I won't stop until I do!" For the first time in six long week, there was a smile on Dirk's face. "Oh man, the plane leaves in 30 minutes. I better get a move on!"

Dirk had made it on the plane just minutes before take off. He remembered to pack as light as possible. He packed a few changes of clothes, necessities like tooth brush, tooth paste, deodorant, stuff like that; and Dave's favorite red and white hoodie and a blanket. Knowing full well that where ever Dave was, it was probably cold this time of year.

After Dirk left the apartment, he had one last stop to make, their mother's grave. "Hey Ma.", Dirk somberly said as he approached the grave. "I'm gonna go get Dave Mama, and I'm not coming back with out him. Tell God to keep His hand over us, and keep an eye on us will ya? We're gonna need it." "Don't worry Mama, I'm bringing our Little Man home. I promise."

Dirk closed his eyes and tried to get some rest on the hour and a half flight it was to Sacramento. He would need it.


	6. Pain

Here's another chapter for ya. Now y'all can finally see what's been happening to Dave for the past 6 weeks.

Chapter 6: Pain

Dave plopped down on his make shift bed. They all had a rough day today, especially Dave. He seemed to be the clienteles favorite. At least the blistering cold in the cellar numbed most of the pain. He tries to push the pain out the back of his mind, something he has learned to master by now. But every ache, every pain reminds him of what started this never ending suffrage.

That was the scariest moment of his life, at the moment. He was just walking down the street, minding his own business; when suddenly he feels being lifted off his feet and being drug into a van. It all happened so fast that he didn't have time to scream or yell or anything. Just watch as his life was being shattered and left behind. When they got him in the van, he was thrown on a mattress in the back, as some guy held him down with his hand over his mouth. "Well, well, well, look at what we have here?", Dave remembers the guys filthy, dirty voice all to well. "Looks like we've got us a beauty here. Ooohh yes! You'll fetch a nice price!", the man looked down, hungrily at Dave. Dave terrified, stared into the man's eyes, mentally begging him not to hurt him. The man took his hand off of Dave's mouth and grabbed ahold of both his skinny little wrists and pinned them high above his head. While the man's other hand started to work on Dave's belt. Dave was screaming frantically at this point, trying his best to get away from the man. "Hold still!", the man reared back his hand, about to strike Dave. "HEY, DON'T TOUCH HIM!", the man up front hollers, "The boss like them 'fresh' and 'clean'." "Aw, man! Take away my fun why don't ya!" "Hey, orders are orders." The man looked down at Dave, lust still in his eyes. "Oh well, maybe some other time then. After the boss has done broken you in." The man chuckles as he lifts a chloroform soaked rag to Dave's face. Within seconds, Dave's even redder eyes shut and his world plunges into darkness.

When Dave woke up, God only knows how many hours later, he was in the cellar that he came to call home for the past six weeks. With about six pairs of eyes just staring at him. He sits up to rub his eyes when he realized he didn't have his shades on. 'They must have fallen off when... Wait...', "Where am I? Who are all of you?", his voice finally spoke as he stared at the kids in front of him. "You're...uh...", one of the kids tried to speak up. "You're in hell, kid.", one of the other, slightly older kids bluntly spoke, "And we are all in the exact same boat." "That still doesn't tell me anyth...", Dave was interrupted by the loud squeaky door of the cellar opening. A large man steps into the cellar, as the other kids step out of the way, making a straight path to Dave. The man approaches Dave and bends down and snatches him up by his arm. The man turns around and leads Dave out of the cellar. "The boss wants to see his new prize.", the man only told Dave as he leads him into another room. The two reach a closed door, as the man knocks on it. "Here's the newest one.", the man said, handing him over to "The boss".

"My, my, my, what do we have here?", the boss said slowly walking around Dave. "Such a beauty indeed, my men done a great job." "Please, let me go.", Dave sobbed. "Oh now, now, no need for tears, yet." The boss started getting close to Dave, putting his hands on his waist. The sudden touch caused Dave to flinch and push the man away. "Now now, I wouldn't do that if I were you.", the boss slickly said as he pointed a knife to Dave's back. "Now, we cam do this the easy way or the hard way.", he cooed in Dave's ear. "Wh-What do you want!", Dave said, tearing up again. "You." Dave's eyes widened as the man pushed him down on the bed, as he started to undress him. "NO! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!, Dave hollered at the top of his lungs. "If you cooperate, I won't have to!", the man stuck the knife to Dave's throat. Dave was so scared, he couldn't think. All he could think about was staying alive. All Dave could do was watch as the man took him, took his innocence.

In an instant his childhood innocence was gone, taken from him. The pain was unbearable. The worst pain he had every felt in his life. He tried to close his eyes, tried to make it all go away. But he couldn't and it didn't. With tears streaming down his face, all he could do was take the pain as this sick, perverted man pounded him into the mattress.

And just think, if he had just accepted that ride from Mr. Egbert, or at least just took the bus home, he wouldn't be hurting right now. He'd be at home, with his bro.

'Bro',

After their fight, he wondered if Bro knew, or even cared, that he was missing. No, of course he knew that he was missing; but Dave still couldn't help but wonder if he cared. Heh, after the way he acted, he highly doubted it.

'No!', Dave pushes those negative thoughts out of his head. 'Bro loves me and he will do anything to protect me! He's going to find me, I just know it! I just have to believe!' Dave had to stay positive through this, his survival, and sanity, depended on it.

And let the hate mail begin.


	7. Arrive

Again, I would like to thank everyone who subscribed/favorited and review the story. From the bottome of my heart, thank y'all so much!

Since y'all have been so good, here's two more chapters for ya.

Chapter 7: Arrive

Dirk's plane landed promptly in Sacramento, California at 11:45. As soon as he was boarded off the plane, he called Jake.

"Okay Jake, I'm in Sacramento. Where do I go from here?" "Ah, yes; the man, Jason Call, owns a bar on the west south side of Sacramento called "The Weeping Willow". Now Dirk, when you get to the bar, do not go in acting all crazy. Act casual, like you're new in town and really need to "serviced". Accordingly, "Serviced" is their key word, you say it, and you're in." "Okay, gotcha. Keep me posted." "But wai...", Dirk hung up the phone before Jake could finish.

'Alright, coming to get ya Little Man. Just hold on a little longer, Big Bro is coming!'

What Jake was trying to mention to Dirk, was that he just got information from his FBI connections. They were already planned a shake down at the "The Weeping Willow", they were willing and ready to arrest anyone on site. Jake had managed to tell them about Dirk and give them a description of him the best he could and told them why he was there. They told Jake that if they saw him, that they would help him anyway they could.

Jake tried to call Dirk back and warn him not to go to the Weeping Willow. That the FBI was already fixing to shake it down, but by the time he was informed by his connections, Dirk had just silenced his phone and put it in his bag. He left at least a dozen messages on his phone, the only thing he could do now was just wait until he heard back from him.


	8. Flee

Chapter 8: Flee

For a Friday, it was a surprisingly slow morning at the Weeping Willow. They only had one client that morning so far. When they weren't in the cellar and weren't with clients, the kids hung out in this little break room and just laid around. Their peace and quiet was interrupted by the frantic shuffling of feet and shouts coming from the other rooms.

"WE GOTTA GO, NOW!", screamed one of the men as he rushed in and hurried the kids out of the room. "What? Where are we going?", asked one of the younger ones. "JUST KEEP A MOVE ON!"

All seven kids were shuffled out of a back door and into a similar white van. Before Dave was pushed in the van, he thought he heard somebody say 'They're coming' and 'FBI on their way'. 'Could it be?', Dave thought, 'Was the FBI on their case?' "COME ON, MOVE IT!", Dave heard as he was pushed roughly into the back as a couple of men climbed in with them. One of them Dave knew all too well.

"Well, look at who's here.", Dave recognized that sickening voice anywhere. It was the voice of the van who tried to rape him when he was first abducted. He looked up to see those same lust filled eyes staring at him. Just the sight of that man made Dave's skin crawl. "How bout we finish where we left off?", the man whispered in Dave's ear. "Nooo", Dave hollered as he tried to shove the man away. But the man grabbed ahold of wrists again and shoved them above his head. "Shut up!", the man struck Dave across the face. "Hey!", one of the other men called out from up front. "It's okay. That one's been giving me lip for weeks, I've been wanting to do that for over a month.", the driver of the van spoke. "Well, then; let's find a better use for that mouth of your's then shall we?", the man howled. "You bite me and I have a bullet with your name on it", the man warned. The man grabbed a fist full of Dave's beautiful blond hair and forced himself down Dave's throat. It took all of Dave's strength to not throw up during the ordeal. Knowing that if he did, it would most likely spell his death. The only thing he could do was pray that it would be over soon.


	9. Shake Downs & Heart Breaks

I just didn't have the heart to keep y'all waiting any longer.

Again, thank y'all so, so much for the reviews, favorites and subscriptions!

Chapter 9: Shake downs & Heart breaks

"Okay, people listen up. Today, we are doing a sting of the Weeping Willow bar on the south west side of town. The owner, Jason Call, is a subject in the abduction of Dave Strider, as well as at least half a dozen other child abduction cases all along the west coast. We have reason to believe that he is running a child sex ring at the bar. Our informant, Jake English, has informed us that Dave's older brother, Dirk Strider, may be at the bar looking for his brother. He's tall, has blond hair, probably wearing a hat and is most likely wearing pointy sunglasses. If you see him, do not arrest him! He may be able to help us with the case. Everybody clear?" "Yes ma'am!" "Good, we go in in 10."

The woman how spoke was none other than Jane Crocker, an agent in FBI, specializing in child abduction cases, and a close friend to both Jake English and Dirk Strider. Along with Roxy Lalonde, the four go way back.

She would do anything for either one of them. And when she found out that Dave was abducted, she put her heart and soul into trying to help find him. For six weeks, she spent building a case and gathering evidence. What she ended up finding was just the tip of the iceberg.

She connected Dave's abduction to at least six other child abduction cases within the past 18 months. All with the same M.O.; the kids were all alone at the time of abduction, either walking home from school or at the park, etc. Were all boys, and all between the ages of 10-15. What was more startling, was that all the abductions were linked back to the same, or similar, van. Jane prayed this wasn't what she thought it was.

As she kept digging, she worst fear came true. This was a gateway to an international child sex ring. Children would be abducted from all over the world and be sold as sex slaves into these. The gut wrenching truth hit her like a ton of bricks. She had to get those children out, and fast! Or none of them would ever be seen again.

She assembled a team as fast as she could, made sure that they were all trained on the matter. She just hoped she wasn't too late.

Dirk took a taxi to the Weeping Willow straight from the airport. Dirk stared at a picture of Dave that he had in his wallet the hole ride. 'Don't worry Little Bro, I'm almost there.' "Here we are buddy, the Weeping Willow. This place is good, the have the best 'service' in town.", the cab driver winked at Dirk as he said service. Dirk knew full well want he meant. And it took every last drop of will power he had not to reach around the front seat and smash the guy's face into the steering wheel. Instead, he put his best poker face on and quietly paid the man what he owed.

Dirk could easily see where the name 'Weeping Willow' come from. There was a huge weeping willow in front of the building. When he walked into the bar, the place was almost empty, except for the bar maid. He turned on that Strider Charm and took a seat at the bar.

Jane looked out the window of the FBI squad van and saw Dirk enter the bar. It was time to make the sting.

"What could I get for ya, handsome.", the bar maiden seductively asked Dirk, being completely pulled into the gravitational force that was the Strider. Dirk turned his swag on to the max. "Well, the word around here is that you guys have the best 'service' in town." "Whatcha lookin' for?", she smirked. "Oh, a little blond, not too old, not too young.", Dirk's words almost made him throw up in his mouth. But he had to keep his cool. "Oh, I believe we have just what you're lookin..." "EVERYBODY PUT YOUR HANDS UP RIGHT NOW!", voices scream as the door to the bar is kicked in. Dirk immediately turned around and saw a dozen FBI squad agents storm the building. Dirk held his hands up, "I'm looking for my brother, I swear I'm just looking for my brother!", as a agent was about to arrest him. "It's okay, he's with us.", Dirk heard a very familiar voice.

"Long time, no see Strider.", Jane smirked. "Oh my God, Jane? How-how did you...", "It's okay Strider, Jake told us you would be here." "Jake told me that Dave would be here." "I know, we..." "Crocker, do you come in?", a voice on her radio interrupted. "Yeah, come in.", she replied back. "We swept the place clean, there's no sign of the kids anywhere." The blood in both their faces drained. "What? How could that be?" "I don't know, but we got Call and some others in the back. They must have been tipped off." "Alright, copy that." "Dirk, you need to come with me."

"Are you sure? Did they looked everywhere?", Dirk sobbed into his hands when Jane told him there was no sign of Dave. He had come so close, he was almost there. Dirk felt like Dave was taken from him all over again. "I'm sorry, Dirk. There was no sign of the kids." The two sat in the FBI van while the team finished the sweep. "Jane, do you come in?", her radio interrupted the silence. "Yeah, come in." "We found the van in the back that has the license plate number, we're hauling it in for evidence. And we searched the place and found backpacks that may have belonged to some of the kids, we can use them to find out exactly who these kids are. And we're hauling Call and the others in for questioning. We'll be able to squeeze some info out of them." 'Ya damn right we will!', Dirk angrily thought to himself. "Okay, copy that."

Dirk was so angry at himself right now, he couldn't stand it. He was this close, THIS CLOSE, to getting his baby brother back! But he was too little too late. Dirk didn't know if he would be able to forgive himself if something had happened to Dave while he just waited around for all that time. "D-D-Da-a-ve, pl-please, forgive me...", Dirk cried in agony, "Oh God!" Jane embraced her friend, trying not to break down herself. She had known Dirk for a long time, this was the first time she had ever seen Dirk cry. "Dirk, I'm so sorry!", Jane wept with him. Her words were of little comfort to him. He was completely inconsolable.

Dirk looked out the window, just as they were bringing Jason Call and the others out. In a fit of blind rage, Dirk literally flew out of van and jumped Call. "WHERE IS HE?", Dirked screamed as he slammed the man to the ground. Dirk was about to deliver a crushing blow to the man's terrified face when he felt about three pairs of arms pull him up. Three of the larger agents managed to pull Dirk off the man long enough for them to get Call into the other squad van. "TELL ME WHERE HE IS!", Dirk cried out again as he tried lunging after Call again. The only thing that stopped him was a tazer that one of the agents fired at him. Within seconds he was completely immobilized, and one the ground. For the first time in her life, Jane had just witnessed the Strider shell crack.


	10. So Close, Yet So Far Away

Since it was brought to my attention, I upped the rating from 'Teen' to 'Mature'.

Again, thank, thank you everyone who reviewed, subscribed and favorited the story.

Please keep the reviews coming.

They're my drug man, I need 'em!

Chapter 10: So close, yet so far away

"There, that wasn't so bad now was it?", the man said as he finished in Dave's mouth. Dave dared not to look the man in the eyes. With tears streaming down his face, he lowered his head in shame and scooted back with the other kids. "Here, you look like you could use this.", one of the younger kids said, tapping Dave on the shoulder and handing him a handkerchief. "Th-thanks", Dave sniffled, but put on a fake smile for the kid, showing him that he was grateful. It was the first act of kindness that anyone had shown him since he was abducted, he'd have to thank him later. Dave wiped his eyes and his mouth with cloth before sinking it into his pocket. Dave sat next to the kid and leaned his head against the wall of the van.

'FBI. They're coming' rang in Dave's head throughout the whole ordeal. He heard it clear as day. It was the only thing he could keep his mind on. 'Could it be? Could the FBI really have come? Is that why we left in such a hurry? Are they on our case?', Dave's mind restlessly questioned, 'Or, could it have just been my mind playing tricks on me?'. 'NO! I know what I heard dammit! The FBI was coming! They were almost there! But these sick shits were somehow tipped off! Dammit, we were so close! We were so close to being rescued, and getting out of this hell hole! So close, yet so far away.' Dave felt tears swell in his eyes again, but quickly wiped them before anyone noticed. Dave looked down to his left to see the kid resting his head on his shoulder asleep. "hhm", Dave leaned his head back again and tried to do the same before they arrived at where ever they were going.

"Oh, man. What happened?", Dirk said sitting up and rubbing his head. "You went complete ape shit, that's what happened.", Jane said, looking down at him. "I did? What happened? And where am I, Jane?" Jane smirked, "Well, let's see; you flew out of the van after the shake down and tried to beat our main suspect into a bloody pulp. We had to sick a stun gun on you to get you to stop. And you are back at our headquarters, specifically on the couch in my office." "I'm sorry, Jane. I don't remember a thing.", Dirk rubbed his eyes. "Completely understandable. You were in such a state of grief that you were completely at the mercy of your already frayed emotions. Honestly Dirk, if I were in your situation, I can't say I would have done any different." Jane's words still brought little comfort to him though. "Dave", Dirk somberly spoke. He felt tears in his eyes again. "Oh Dirk, I'm so sorry. We'll find him Dirk, don't worry.", Jane wrapped her arms around Dirk. Dirk weakly returned the hug. Dirk openly wept into her shoulder. "We were so close Jane, so close! Yet so far away!"


	11. Revelation

Chapter 11: Revelation

The two embraced each other for a few moments before either of the said another word. "Oh, and by the way, English has left at least a dozen messages on your phone.", Jane said handing Dirk his phone. "Jake, remind me to stick my foot up his ass for not telling me your were on it." "He knew that we would meet up.", Jane said as Dirk dialed Jake.

"Well, it's about time you picked up Dirk! I was worried you might have done something that you would have deeply regretted." "No, I wouldn't have regretted what I about did to that Call guy." "About did?" "Yeah, from what Jane told me, apparently in a blind fury, I lunged at Call and tried to 'beat him to a bloody pulp'." "Oh, Lord" "And when were you gonna tell me that Jane was on the case?" "She just contacted me! I just found out not long after you got off the plane. I didn't have time to tell you." "Right. Well, it doesn't matter now. They were gone by the time we got there." "Yes, I am so sorry my friend, Jane told me. Don't you worry my friend! I am still tracking them down as we speak, and the moment I hear anything. I will let you know, I promise!" "I know you will."

"When Jake said he had connections, who would have thought he meant you. I mean who would have thought little miss Janey Crocker would be an agent for the FBI." "Yeah well, as time goes by, so does your view of the world. A while back, I travelled the world as a reporter." "I remember you saying that you always wanted to be a reporter for Time." "Yeah well, my wish came true. A few years after college, I finally got on with Time. I was so excited. I could finally go out and explore the world. My job took me to the deepest, darkest of slums, to the highest of society. Then one assignment was about sex trafficking in southeast Asia. What I saw and experienced there still haunts me to this day."

"The first couple of days on the assignment were fine. Interviewed several women who were in the trade. They said that they were sold into the trade as young girls. Some were kidnapped, others were sold in by their own families. Can you image that Dirk? Being sold as a slave by your own mother or father?" Dirk couldn't image that, he could never image doing ANYTHING to hurt Dave in anyway shape or form. "As I dug deeper, I didn't notice the shady characters following me around. By the time I did realize it, it was too late. They had done through a bag over my head and through me into the back of a truck." "Jane, were you...","It was the closest that I have ever been to being raped. I was so scared. Thankfully, when the attack occurred, it was in the middle of a busy street, and my attackers were quickly caught and I was rescued. That was it for me, I quickly found myself on the next plane back to the U.S.. I turned in my findings, and my resignation. I was done. My experiences opened up my eyes Dirk. I had looked into the face and of innocence and evil that day. I would be damned before I sat around just reporting the story, while innocent lives all around the world were being destroyed everyday being trafficked. That's why I joined the FBI, Dirk. To help rescue and save the lives that were being destroyed in this sick trade. I couldn't bare the thought of innocent children going through what I almost went through!", Jane was completely in tears as she finished telling Dirk her story. Dirk couldn't believe it; the Jane he knew almost his entire life, was almost sold into sex slavery. No wonder she was fighting so hard, so passionately about the case.

"Jane, I had no idea. I'm so sorry!", Dirk embraced her again. "I promise you Dirk, I will do everything it takes to help get Dave back!" "WE will!", Dirk affirmed her.


	12. Evidence & Interrogation

Chapter 12: Evidence & Interrogation

"So what do we do now Janey? Where do we go from here?", Dirk questioned. "Well first, we have to wait for the evidence comes back. Then, we wait to see if English has anything for us. After we hear back from him, then we can interrogate the suspects." "Couldn't we just skip the first two steps, and get right the interrogation. I'm sure I can get some answers out of them.", Dirk said popping his knuckles. "No thank you, we need all the suspects, alive. But, if they're not talking, I'm sure that we could use your assistance." Dirk smirked and sat back on the couch. All Dirk and Jane could do now was wait to hear back from the evidence department.

They didn't have to wait long. Ring ring, ring ring. The phone in Jane's office rung. "This is Crocker.", she answers the phone. "Yes. Uh huh. Uh huh. Yes. Oh. Okay. We'll be down there as soon as we can.", Jane hung up the phone and looked at Dirk. "Evidence from the sweep just came back, and they found the van from the abductions. Some of the evidence may have belonged to Dave." The blood from Dirk's face drained.

When they got down to the evidence department, the two were greeted by a woman in a white lab coat. "Detective Crocker? Hi, I am Amelia Rogers. I analyzed all the evidence from sweep. And I found some compelling and disturbing evidence." "Thank you Ms. Rogers. And this is my good friend, Dirk Strider. His brother was adducted and taken to the bar. And I believe he can help us with our case." "Oh, it's nice to meet you Mr. Strider. And I'm so sorry to hear about your brother. Rest assure, our Jane has been working her butt off on this case. She will do everything she can to find him." "Thank you Ms. Rogers, it's nice to meet you too.", Dirk turned on a Strider Smile for the woman. "And if you two would follow me, I can take you to the evidence that was found in the van first."

"We looked in every nook and cranny in the van and found evidence of multiple abductions." "Blood samples, hair samples, all different. We found some objects that may have belonged to some of the kids.", Ms. Rogers said pointing at a small table across the room. Dirk saw something on the table he knew all too well. "Those, those are Dave's sunglasses!", he said rushing to the table. "Those were found under the driver's seat." "Can, can I...","Of course you can Mr. Strider." Dirk removed the notorious sunglasses from the evidence bag, and clutched them close to his chest. 'He, he was there!', Dirk felt a tear roll down his cheek.

"We also found several book bags in a closet where we believed the children were kept." Dirk wiped the tears from his eyes and turned around. Ms. Rogers pointed to another table across the room that had 3 backpacks, and 1 messenger bag on it. Like the sunglasses, Dirk instantly recognized one of them. "That red messenger bag, is Dave's." Ms. Rogers handed Dirk the bag. "Again, Mr. Strider, you have my deepest condolences." Dirk didn't have the heart to open the bag right now. He just clung it over his shoulder as they continued going through the evidence.

"We also found some very disturbing surveillance recordings. They kept the place wired 24/7, in all the rooms and everything." Ms. Rogers shows Jane some of the videos from the surveillance. Jane covers her mouth in shock as the videos reveal the graphic evidence from bar's underground brothel. She sees a boy that looks like Dave in some of the videos, being forced into..."Oh my God.", Jane tears up. "What? What is it...", Dirk trails off as he stares at the screen. On the screen, shown a surveillance video of his brother, being forced into sex by two older man. It was more than Dirk could take.

Dirk ran out of the room and into the nearest bathroom, where he emptied out the contents of his stomach into the bowl. He let out an ear shattering cry of agony. Everything he feared, he had just saw happen. His poor little innocent baby brother, had been raped. Probably multiple times. "Oh God, why?", Dirk cries out. The images kept playing over and over again in his head. The more the images played, the more sorrow turned to anger. However has his brother, better pray to God that the FBI finds them before he does. When he does, Dirk punched a dent into the metal bathroom stall. "Dirk, are you okay?", Jane knocked on the door. The knock broke him out of his anger stupor. "No Jane, I'm not.", Dirk sobbed again as he opened the door. Jane embraced him, "Dirk, I'm so sorry! You weren't supposed to see it!", she cried into his chest. "What has been seen, cannot be unseen, Jane." Two held each other a few more moments before their silence was interrupted once more.

"Crocker, do you come in?", Jane's radio goes off. "Yeah, this is Crocker, come in." "We have all the suspects in interrogation." "Okay, good. We'll be down in a minute."

Jane and Dirk quietly made their way down to the interrogation rooms.

"Ah, detective Crocker. We're waiting on you.", another detective said as the two entered in the rooms. "Sorry, we were going over some evidence.", Jane reaffirmed. "Detective Baxter, this is Dirk Strider, a close friend of mine and brother to one of the kids; Dirk, this is Detective Jeff Baxter, he's been helping me with the case since day one." "Mr. Strider, it's a pleasure to meet you." "Like wise.", Dirk shook the man's hand. "Okay, what do we got?", Jane questioned. "We have Jason Call, the owner of the bar. We have two men who were in the brothel at the time of the raid, and the bar maid. I got the bar maid. Detective Johnson has the two men. And it looks like you have Call.", Detective Baxter handed Jane a file.

"So, Jason Call is it?", Jane said entering the interrogation room. "Y-yes ma'am.", Call stuttered nervously in his chair. "So, how long have you been running the bar?", Jane sat across from him. "Since '85." "And how long have you been running a brothel of underaged boys under it?" "It started in '95", Call openly confessed. "I was going through a rough time, thought I was going to loose the bar. When a friend of mine told me I could be making 10 times the amount of money if I opened a brothel under my bar. It was just supposed to be for grown women at first, I swear. But then customers wanted more 'variety', so I had him bring in kids, young boys. It made me sick at first, but the money just kept coming and coming. Plus, I got all the tail I wanted for free." "Who, is your friend?", Jane asked, completely disgusted by the confession. "I can't tell you. You don't understand! He is a powerful, powerful man! I could be killed for this!" "I don't think you understand!", Jane yelled at the man. "Do you have any idea of what you were doing! You were running a child brothel! Innocent children were being kidnapped, taken from their families who love them, to work as sex slaves in your brothel! And you know what Call? We have one of those family members here with us. Remember that guy that tried to attack you after the raid? He's the older brother of one of the kids you had kidnapped. Why don't you tell that to him? I'm sure he'd love to hear it!"

"But, but that's not possible! My friend said that they were orphans, nobodies, not even a dot in the system." "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You're trying to justify the kidnapping and rape of AT LEAST 7 young boys because you thought they didn't matter? That nobody would miss them?" "That's what he told me, I swear!" "Well, why don't you tell that him.", Jane opened the door to let Dirk in. Dirk had heard the entire conversation. If it wasn't for the shatter proof two way mirror, Dirk would have jumped through and beaten Call to death by now.

Dirk glared at Call like a hungry lion. "Thank you Jane." Dirk glared at Call for a few more moments before he lunged. In literally half a second, Dirk flew across the room, and had Call up against the wall. "SO YOU LIKE RAPING LITTLE BOYS, HUH? WHY DON'T YOU TELL THAT TO MY FACE? TELL ME THAT MY LITTLE BROTHER DIDN'T MATTER, GO AHEAD I DARE YOU! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA ALL THE PAIN AND SUFFERING YOU PUT US THROUGH! YOU BETTER PRAY FOR MERCY, CAUSE I WON'T HAVE ANY!", Dirk reared his fist back, ready to deliver the blow that he was about to deliver before. "Dirk, wait!", Jane called out. "Tell us, now! Or I'll will personally see to it that if he doesn't kill you, that you will be put in prison for the rest of your miserable life and feel every bit of pain that you put those boys through!" "TELL US!", Dirk screamed. "J-J-Ja-ck N-Nior. He runs brothels all across the country. He ships kids out internationally. He got the call to move them before you came!" "Where has he taken them Call?" "Promise me, promise me you won't let him get to me!" "Dirk, put him down.", Dirk done as he was told, "I promise." "Seattle, Washington. He's taking them there to be shipped out to Shanghai." With that, Jane ended the interrogation and had Call arraigned.

"Baxter, come in.", Jane radioed. "This is Baxter." "We interrogated Call, and he confessed to running the brothel. He also confessed that the kids are going to Seattle to be shipped out to Shanghai. He gave up the name of his accomplice. His accomplice's name is Jack Nior." "Jack Nior? We've had a warrant out on that guy for years. He's wanted for running underaged brothels all around the country." "Put an all state bulletin out for his arrest." "Already on it."

'Jack Nior? Why does that name sound so familiar?'


	13. New Friendship

I would just like to say thank you, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, subscribed and favorited the story! Y'all do not know how much it means to me!

And thank you to Bella Pilgrim for clearing that up for me. I would have went the rest of the story spelling Noir's name wrong.

So here's a sweet bridge chapter for ya. It really is sweet.

Chapter 13: New Friendship

It was about 11:30 pm when the van pulled up behind a house near Seattle's harbor. "Alright, get up. Everybody out.", the men in the van called out as the opened the doors. "Uh, what?", Dave woke up groggily. "Come on, get a move on." Dave and the other kids were pulled to the feet and hustled out of the van and into the back door of the house. Dave kept ahold of the kid's hand that offered him his handkerchief earlier, as they both were still half asleep. All seven kids were lead into a room with seven beds. "This is where you all will be sleeping.", the man leading them into the room said. The man quietly left the room and locked the door behind him.

The room was a culture shock to what the kids were previously living in. Before, they just had a cellar with mattresses on the floor, a table, and a bucket underneath a fosset for water. Here they actually had beds, real beds, with pillows and sheets and everything. Next to some of the beds were nightstands with lamps on them. They even had a bathroom too. The other kids were amazed at the sudden change. But Dave was suspicious. 'What are they up too? Why did they move us to such a nice place?' In this world, you can't help but question everything.

Dave saw the kid sit on one of the beds. He decided to take the bed next to it. "Isn't this nice, Dave?", the kid asked, still looking around the room. "Yeah, nice." Dave felt bad for not ever asking the kid's name, even though he knew his. Dave looked the kid in the eye, "So, what's your name anyway?" "Timmy." "Well, Timmy, thanks for helping me, back in the van. It really meant alot to me." "Eh, don't worry about it. It was nothing." "Why did you help me anyway?", Dave questioned, looking the kid dead in the eyes. "Well, at night, I get really scared and sad. And you sing in your sleep, and it makes me feel better. Offering my handkerchief to you was the least I could do for you." "Say wha?", Dave had no idea what he was talking about. He had no idea that he sung in his sleep. "Yeah, sometimes you sing two or three different songs, and others you sing one song over and over again." "What do I sing while I am asleep?", Dave couldn't help but ask. "Well, a couple of them it's hard to understand, like your singing them in another language. But the way you sing them, the way your voice sounds, is so beautiful. And then sometimes you sing this one song, I can here it plain as day. 'One the wind, cross the sea. Here this song and remember,'", "Soon you'll be, home with me. Once upon a december.", Dave finishes the song. "It's so pretty. It makes me forget all my worries, like I am at home again." Dave blushes, he doesn't know what to say, except "Th-thanks, it's a lullaby my, my brother used to sing me all the time when I was a kid." "You're brother must be an awesome guy.", Timmy laid back. "Yeah, he is."

Dave thought about his bro. 'I miss you Bro. And I wish I was home with you.' Now that they have moved, Dave wondered if the FBI would find them and he would ever be home with his bro again. Dave felt tears swell in his once more. 'No, no, no Strider, no tearing up now. Bro will find you, and will bring the FBI with him. You just have to stay strong until then, if not for Timmy's sake.', Dave looked over at his new found friend, who was fixing to fall back asleep. "Good night, Dave.", Timmy sleepily says. "Good night, Timmy.", Dave lays on his head. "On the wind, cross the sea. Here this song and remember,", Dave begins to sing, "Soon you'll be home with me. Once upon a December." Dave realized Timmy was right, singing does make you feel better. It helps make the pain float away, so to speak. He continues to sing the song over and over again, until he too falls to sleep. "On the wind, cross the sea. Hear this song and remember. Soon you'll be, home with me. Once upon a December."

Yes, I just added an Anastasia song to Homestuck.


	14. Dreams & Forgiveness

Chapter 14: Dreams & Forgiveness

A peaceful, dreamless sleep alluded both Strider brothers that night. Both of them, tossed restlessly in their sleep.

"D-Dave", "Bro", both quietly spoke as their minds drifted into oblivion.

Dirk remembers this place all too well. It's the place that has been in his dreams from for going on two months now. He always felt so alone in his dreams, except this time. He felt, a presence with him.

"Hello? Anybody out there?", he calls out.

Like Dirk, Dave also remembers this place all too well. It's a place that he has run too for the past now going 7 weeks. A place he has been running to for sanctuary, to escape his cruel reality. All the times he came here, he felt alone. But for some reason, this time he felt different. He felt someone else.

"Hello? Anybody out there?", he hears a faint voice off in the distant. It sounded so, so familiar. Could in be?

"Bro?"

"DAVE?"

'It is! It is!', for first time in six weeks, a true genuine smile was plastered on Dave's face. Not a fake smile, but a joy filled smile. Without a second thought, the two rush towards the other's voice.

"BRO! Bro it's me!", Dave hollers all the way.

"DAVE! I'm here Dave. I'm here!"

The voices get closer and closer and soon two figures emerge from the fog.

"Dave!" "Bro!", the two voices stop when both figures are just feet from each other.

There they were. Two brothers who hadn't seen nor spoken too in 6 weeks, standing next to each other, face to face.

"D-Dave." "Bro."

Within a split second, the two ran towards each other, and embraced in a huge warm hug. Dirk picked Dave up and swirled him around before collapsing to his knees in just sheer joy.

"Oh my God! Dave! I was so worried! I thought I would never see you again!", Dirk cried as he held his baby brother in his arms, and smothered his head in kisses. "Bro! I was so scared! I'm so sorry! I thought I was never gonna see you again! I thought I was gonna die here!" "You listen to me!", Dirk looked at his brother straight in the eyes, "Don't you EVER think that this is your fault! Understand? If anyone's, it's mine. If I had been a better brother. If I hadn't been away so much.", "You done the best you could Bro. I'm sorry, I didn't appreciate you.", "No, I'm sorry Dave! If I had been there for you, you wouldn't be in this situation. I'm so sorry I abandoned you! And I'm so sorry about that stupid argument! Please forgive me!" "No Bro, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone anywhere without telling you." "You had a right to! I wasn't there for you! I'll never forgive myself for that Dave!" Dave looked up at Dirk, "Well, I won't forgive you if you don't first forgive yourself!" Damn that kid liked to play hard ball. "Okay Dave, I forgive myself.", Dirk buried his face in Dave's hair. "And I forgive you!"

Dirk and Dave both began to feel themselves slip from each other's arms. "Dave, please wait!", Dirk grasped onto his brother tighter, "Please, tell me where you are." "I don't know, we just got here. Somewhere near a port, in a big house.", Dave struggles to hold on. "I'll find you Dave, I promise! I'm coming for you!"

The two brothers slip from each other's arms, and slip back into reality.

"DAVE!", "BRO!"

The two brothers both sat up in their beds. Both sweating and panting.

'Whoa, could've it all just been a dream? It felt so real!', both brothers thought at the exact same time.

Dave looked down at his arms, and saw still red hand prints; like he had been held tightly. "It was real. Bro..."


	15. More News

Chapter 15: More News

"Dave...", Dirk looked down at his hands. They still were red, and hot, like he had held onto something, or someone, for dear life. Could it be? Could he had just made contact with his long lost brother through a dream?'The dream, it was real...', "IT WAS REAL!", Dirk shrieked out loud.

"What? What was real?", Dirk's shriek incidentally woke up Jane. Jane had offered Dirk to stay with her at the hotel she was renting while she was working on the case. "Jane, Jane! Itwassoreal! Iwasdreaming,orIthoughtIwasdreamingand...", "Whoa, whoa. Dirk honey, slow down I can't understand a word you're saying." "I made contact with Dave!" "Wait you what?", Jane sat up from bed and put on her glasses. "I made contact with Dave!" "Oh my God! Where? How?", Jane asked excitedly.

"I'm telling you Jane! It was real! I'm not crazy!", Dirk tried to explain to Jane his encounter, but she just couldn't seem to believe him. "No one said you were crazy Dirk. It's just that, contacting someone through a dream, seems kind of...", "Crazy, I know. But it was so real Janey. I swear! I could feel him Jane, I held him in my arms. He said he, forgave me.", Dirk felt a tear roll down his cheek. "Oh, Dirk. I'm sorry.", Jane leaned over to Dirk and gave him a warm hug. The hug reminded him of something else Dave had told him. "Wait, Janey. He said he wa...", ring ring, ring ring. Dirk's phone rung, interrupting him.

'That freaking phone! It better be English!', Dirk thought as Jane answered his phone for him.

"Long time, no see English. Please tell me you have something?" "Ahh, Jane! Good to hear from you! Is Dirk behaving?" "Yeah, for the most part." "Ah, yes. I have good news. I managed to find a a servalleince video in the alley near the Weeping Willow around the time of raid. In the video it shows a white van, similar to the one linked to the abductions, fleeing the area of the Weeping Willow just moments before the raid." "That's great! Can you see the license plate on the van?" "Way ahead of ya Sister. The license plate is from Washington state, and is licensed to a Jack Noir." "Jack Noir? He's that creep's that ran the bar accomplice. Baxter said he's wanted for running an international child sex ring." "Oh Lord.", the blood in Jake's face drained. When he connected Washington state and international child sex ring, he knew it only meant one thing. "Jane, y'all have to find them fast. He's fixing to ship these kids out over seas!" The urgency in Jake's voice made Jane realize that they didn't have as much time as she thought they had. Noir was getting ready to ship the kids off, probably within the next 48 hours. Jane almost dropped the phone, "Oh my God!"


	16. The Reason

This is a short, but really important chapter. That's the only spoiler you're gonna get! HA!

Chapter 16: The Reason

Dave sat up in his bed panting, still staring down at his arms. Even after 10 minutes, he could still see the hand prints on his arms. 'Could I have just seriously made contact with my bro, through a dream? How is that even possible?' Dave felt like he was in an episode of The Twilight Zone.

'Wait, if I'm really not crazy; and I did indeed make contact with Bro. That means...'

"Alright, time to wake up! The boss is here and he wants to see you all!", a man called out unlocking their bedroom door. The man's voice broke Dave from his thoughts. "Come on, everybody up.", the man came around shaking the ones who were still asleep. Dave rolled out of bed, "Come on Timmy, you need to wake up." Dave shook his new friend. "Uh, what?", Timmy groggily responds. "Come on.", Dave shakes him a few more times and offer his hand to help him up. Timmy grabbed ahold of his hand and hoisted himself up. Dave still held onto his hand as they were led out of the room.

"You all may be wondering why there was such a drastic change of events during the past 24 hours.", The boss stated as the children settled into the room. "Let me assure you all that is strictly for business purposes and that it is not any of your concern. Business will continue as normal. And if you have questions, please keep them to yourself." 'The hell it isn't any of our concern!', Dave thought to himself, not daring to utter it out loud. The boss started to turn and leave the room, when something caught his eye.

"What happened to your face?", the boss asked Dave, pointing to the big, now black bruise on his left cheek. Dave put it his hand over it. "It happened yesterday, sir. During the move.", Dave tried not to look the boss in the eyes, but was impossible to do so when the boss hoisted his chin up to look at him in the face. The boss knew the bruise was made by a hand, he had made quite a few of these himself. "Who hit you?" Dave looked around the room and saw his assailant on the far corner of the room. "Him, over there.", Dave pointed to him. "You! In my office, now!", the boss pointed to the man. The boss let Dave be and walked the man into his office. Dave dared not to look at the man as he passed by him.

"Do you mind telling me why a bruise is now on the face of our most prized piece?" "Boss I'm sorry, I jus...", "SHUT UP!", the boss slapped the man across the face, giving him a matching bruise. "That boy is our most prized commodity! His brother owes me a very pretty penny. Why do you think I had you go all the way to Texas?" The boss, Jack Noir, had it out for Dirk Strider.

Years ago, when Dave was real young, Dirk got into some real bad gambling debt, trying to provide for his brother and himself. Dirk looked to other means to pay the money he owed. He looked to Jack Noir to help him with his gambling debt. Dirk paid back his gambling debt with money Noir loaned him, but never fully paid Noir back. And now, Noir took Dave as collateral for the debt. "Any harm that falls on that boy, shall be done by me!", Noir unsheathed the bowie knife he hid in the chest pocket of his blazer, and plunged it into the man's throat. The man was dead before he hit the floor.

Noir ordered the men guarding by his office door to clean up the mess and expose of the body as he walked out of his office and walked back to the room.

"Tonya?", Noir called out. "Yes sir!", a young woman came up from cleaning behind the bar across the room. "Clean this one up.", Noir pointed to Dave, "Make sure that bruise doesn't show." "Yes sir." "Come on sweetie.", Tonya took Dave by the hand and led him into the a large bathroom.

"The rest of you. Get ready for work, clients are waiting."


	17. Making Allies

How could I keep you all waiting? Here's two more chapters, just because I love you all so much!

I know I probably sound like a broken record at this point; but seriously you guys, THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS!

Y'all seriously do not know just how much it means to me!

Chapter 17: Making Allies

"Well, Tonya, I must say you have out done yourself this time.", Tonya looked at her 'masterpiece'. She really did do a good job. Dave looked, and slightly felt better than he had in weeks. She first gave him a very long needed bath. After that, she fixed his hair and face. Tonya gave his hair that muffled, spiky look. The clients like that bad boy look. Heh, Dave fit that to a T. The only thing she had to do with his face was just put some liquid foundation over that bruise. His face was very petite, it made him look younger than he actually was. And the freckles that splattered across his nose and cheeks were too adorable to cover up.

Tonya always tried her best not to talk to the kids. It made the guilt much easier to live with if she never spoke to them. But for some reason, this one was different. She couldn't help but to want to talk to Dave, want to get to know him.

"What's your name, honey?", Tonya just broke her most sacred taboo; trying to see these kids as human, not objects.

"Dave."

"Do you like it, Dave?", Tonya pointed Dave to mirror.

"Yes ma'am.", Dave put his hand over the spot where his bruise would be.

"So, where are you from?"

"Houston." "How do you live with?" "My brother." "Where's your mom and dad, honey?" "I never knew my dad, and my mom died after I was born." "So your brother takes care of you?", Tonya somberly asked. "Yeah, he raised me since birth.", Dave sadly says. For the first time in years, Tonya was actually felt empathy for another human being. "I'm sure he misses you." "I wonder if he misses me as much as I miss him."

'Oh great, now you've gone and done it' Tonya quickly turned around and wiped the forming tears out of her eyes. 'How could I have done this? All these years; kids coming and going, and you never gave them so much as a second thought. Who knows if any of them ever saw their families again. And then this one comes along...oh how could I have been so foolish?' a sob escapes Tonya's lips.

"Ms. Tonya? Are you okay?", Dave asks with concern.

'Maybe, you can help this one...', Tonya turns around. "Yeah baby, I will be."

"Listen to me honey, I'm going to try and help you escape." 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING TONYA? You could be killed for this!, I don't care! I can't take it anymore! I have to do something!'

"What?", Dave is a little taken aback.

"I-I'm going to try and help you escape." "But, but why?" "I-I just can't take the guilt anymore!", the tears were freely streaming down Tonya's face now.

"But how?"

'Yeah Tonya, how?', Tonya thought real hard. 'Wait...'

"Does your brother have a cellphone?"

"YEAH!" "shhhhh" "yeah"

"Do you know the number?" "625-917-1749", Dave blurted out without skipping a beat.

"Okay great.", she sniffles, "I'll try to contact him as soon as I can."

"Thank you!", was all Dave could say before embracing Tonya in a tight hug.

"Don't worry sweetie, you'll be out of here and back with your bro real soon.", Tonya returned the hug.

By the way, I am so sorry if that is anybody's actual number! I just typed in a random number on my keyboard.


	18. Plan B

Chapter 18: Plan B

After the call from Jake, Jane called the team into a meeting as fast as she could.

"Okay, people listen up. We just got word this morning that the boss of the operation ,Jack Nior, is fixing to ship these kids out over seas. It's time to take off the training wheel people. We have to find those kids, ASAP. Or none of them will ever be seen again.", Jane spoke in front of a room of about a dozen other agents and officers. "Call confessed that Nior had the kids moved to Seattle, but exactly where in Seattle, we don't know.", Jane stood staring at a map of Seattle, scratching her head.

"Agent Crocker,", Agent Baxter stood up and approached the map, "Since we believe that he is fixing to ship these kids out, we can assume that he is keeping them near a port or shipping yard." "Right, but that still doesn't narrow anything down. Seattle is basically built up of ports and shipyards. If narrow them down one by one; we'll have wasted too much time and by the time that we actually do find where they are, it'll be too late." Baxter exhaled, "Where do we start Crocker?" "We need to get eyes in the sky. Contact English, and get him to find any surveillance video of of that van going into the Seattle port area within the past 24 hours." "Alright, on it. Everybody take 10.", Baxter ended the meeting.

While Jane was in the meeting, Dirk was in her office; examining the things in Dave's school bag. "Dave...I miss you so much Lil' Bro." Dirk took out a notebook that Dave drew in when he was bored. As he went through the pages of the notebook, he was astonished at his brother's talent. He was really good, like really really good. Some of the images looked like they were about to fly off the pages they looked so real.

One drawing almost brought Dirk to tears. Dave had drew an image of their mother on her wedding day. Dirk recalled her saying that it was one of her favorites. It was perfect, exact to a T! Above the image, it said "Happy Mother's Day Mama! I love you!" Dirk didn't even try to fight the tears.

Another drawing, a much more recent one, took Dirk completely by surprise. It was image, of him! It looked more like a black and white image of him, not a drawing! Above the drawing it said, "Happy Birthday to the best brother ever! Love you Bro!" It was dated on Dirk's birthday, December 3. He and Dave shared the same birthday, oh the irony. His and Dave's birthdays were in a couple of weeks. Dirk wondered if they would find him in time.

"I'm sorry, Jane. I can't find anymore surveillance of any vans going into the port area within the past 24 hours. And I scanned Noir's name to see if he owns anything in the Seattle area. Nothing!", Jake was frustrated at this point. He couldn't find anything! Nothing! And the urgency of the case didn't help either. "Are you sure, Jake? You can't find anything?" "I'm sorry Jane, I can't find anything! It's like they just disappeared." "Maybe we were too late...", Jane buried her head in her hands as she hung up the phone. What was she gonna tell Dirk...

'What are you doing Tonya? You could get killed for this?', Tonya thought as she snuck out the back of the house. She had to go to safe place where she could make the call. And sneaking out of the house to go to a coffee shop and make the call outweighed the risk if she was caught making the call inside the house. 'No, there's no turning back now. You made a promise!'

When she got half way to the coffee house, she made the call.

"Dave...", Dirk had to close the book before his tears got on any of the pages and ruined them. He held the book to his chest. He tried to rest his mind, but his mind had other plans.

'Jack Nior? Where have I heard that name before? It sounds so...Oh my God!', the realization hit Dirk like a ton of bricks. Jack Nior was the man he borrowed money from 10 years ago, when he got into some bad gambling debt. Then Dirk remember that he never fully paid Nior back. 'Could he have...he did...', "HE TOOK DAVE! THAT BASTARD TOOK MY BROTHER! HE BETTER PRAY THE FBI GETS AHOLD OF HIM BEFORE I DO! IF I DO, I'M GONNA...", Ring ring, ring ring. Dirk's phone broke him from his rant.

"Hello!", Dirk angrily answered the phone. Tonya was a little taken aback, she almost hung up the phone. 'No, you have to do this Tonya. He can't bite you over the phone.' "Hello?" "Y-Yes, um who exactly am I speaking with?" "Dirk Strider, what's it too you?" "Uh, do you have a brother named 'Dave'?" The blood from Dirk's face drained and he almost dropped the phone. "DAVE? OH MY GOD! WHERE IS HE, IS HE OKAY?", Dirk hollered into the phone. "Yes Mr. Strider, he's okay right now. He gave me your number and I promised him I could contact you as soon as I could." "Please, let me talk to him!", Dirk sobbed. "I can't Mr. Strider. He's not with me and I don't have enough time, so please listen. Your brother and a group of other kids were taken to Seattle, Washington at this bar and inn called 'The Moon River Inn'. The boss, Jack Nior, is planning to ship them out to Shanghai tonight, so you have to hurry." "Wait, wha- tonight?", Dirk blurted out. "That's the Moon River Inn! You got that, it's by the port. It's a big blue house with white shutters." "O-Okay, the Moon River Inn. Big blue house, white shutters , by...the port." Dirk remembered his dream. Dave said he was in a big house by the port. 'I knew I contacted him, I knew it!'. "I have to go, please hurry." "Wait wait! What's your name?" "Tonya."

Tonya then hung up the phone. She didn't care if her actions did get her killed, she wasn't about to sit by and let these kids lives get ruined. At least she could die happy, knowing she made a difference.


	19. Putting the Plan into Action

I know I said that I wasn't give away anymore spoilers, but I feel like I can spare y'all one more. I PROMISE you, this will NOT be a sadstuck story! This story WILL have a happy ending.

Chapter 19: Putting the Plan into Action

Dirk couldn't believe what he just heard. Somebody, just out of the blue, just called him and told him where his brother was. "I know where Dave is...I KNOW WHERE DAVE IS!", Dirk screamed to the top of his lungs.

Jane wobbled herself back to her office to tell Dirk the news that they couldn't find anything on where the kids were. She dreaded his already known reaction. Then she heard a noise coming from her office. 'Oh Lord.', she feared Jake had already told Dirk that they couldn't find anything. As she got closer to her office, she noticed the screaming sounded, happy. 'What's going on?'

"Dirk, what's going on?", Jane opens the door to find a completely euphoric Dirk Strider, dancing around in her office. "Oh Jane! I know where Dave is!" Dirk embraced her in a big hug.

"What? You know where Dave is? Oh my God, how?"

"This woman named Tonya, she called me and told me she knows where Dave is and how to find him. She said that he is at the Moon River Inn, in Seattle. It's near the port and it's a big blue house with white shutters. She said," Dirk remembers the grave warning that Tonya relieved to him. "She said we have to find them soon. That Jack Noir is gonna ship them out to Shanghai tonight. Oh Jane we have to hurry!"

"Okay, let me get this straight. Some cat just comes up out of blue and tells you that she knows where your brother is?", Detective Baxter questions Dirk. "Yes! How many times do I have to tell you? She called me up on my cellphone. Look it the call logs.", Dirk handed him his cellphone. Baxter looked into the call logs on Dirk's cellphone. Sure enough, at at 10:45 am, a call from a cellphone in the Seattle area was made to Dirk's cellphone. The call lasted about 45 seconds."Crocker, check the database to see which tower this cellphone number picked off of.", Baxter handed Jane Dirk's cellphone.

"It looks like this cellphone was picked off a tower about 5 blocks from where the call was actually placed. And it looks like who ever made the call was on the move when they made the call. The question is, where was she going at the time of the call." "I told y'all already. The person who called me was a woman named Tonya, and she said that Dave was at the Moon River Inn, she said it was near a port.", Dirk said a little frustrated. "That would explain why she was on the move. She had to make the call somewhere a good ways from the Inn. But where was she going?", Baxter questioned. "Maybe she was going to a coffee house? There is a Starbucks about 2 blocks from where the call was made, and about another 2 blocks from the call tower." "Well that settles it then. She had to make the call, somewhere away from the Inn. So she went out for coffee and made the call on the way there."

"Alright then. Assemble the team. We're going in at the Moon River Inn.", Jane commanded Baxter. "Don't worry Dirk, you'll have Dave back before the. night is over with.", Jane smiled at Dirk. "Jane, I could never thank you enough for everything you've done. Thank you!", Dirk embraces Jane in a big hug. Jane immediately returns it, "Let's go get him!"

"Good God, that was the longest line for coffee that I ever seen in my life!", Tonya sipped her latte on the way back to the Inn. After she made the call to Dirk, she walked to the nearest Starbucks she could find so she would have an alibi as to why she was gone. Tonya had made damn sure she deleted the call she made to Dirk from her call log. If they found out, she and Dave were as good as dead. When she got back to the Inn, she slipped in the same way she came out.

"Where the hell were you at?", questioned one of the guards. "Gone to feed my addiction to caffeine, is that a crime?" "By sneaking out the back door?" "I didn't want to get bitched at for going to get a latte, besides I needed to walk. I've been cooped up here forever." The guard knew Tonya had her cellphone with her, he swiftly reached into her pocket and pulled it out before she could do anything. "Hey! What the hell are you doing?" He checked the call logs, "Making sure you didn't make any unauthorized calls." Tonya's actions worked, he didn't see any within the past 24 hours. When he was done, he threw the phone back at her. "Don't pull this little stunt again...understand?", he pulled a knife up to her neck. "Y-yes sir!" "Good.", with that, the man walked away. Tonya quickly made her way back to the bar.

"Well, Tonya. It looks like you done a good job! My little commodity has been busy all morning,", Noir leaned back in his chair in a suggestive manor, "We need to get you on make up duty more often." Noir's combined words and actions, and that sick look on his face almost made Tonya throw up in her mouth. 'Yeah, keep laughing you sick bastard. Just wait until that guy gets ahold of you.'

Just as she thought that, Dave almost lifelessly walks into the bar area, and hands Noir a wad of cash after having to 'service' another client. "This is from the last client." Noir takes and examines the money, "50 big ones. You must have taken care of him real good.", Noir pulls Dave into his lap. If Dave was suicidal, he would have spit on Noir's face. But he remains poker-faced. "Tonya, get something in this one before he kills over.", Noir pushes Dave off his lap. Dave wobbles on over to the bar, where Tonya hands him a sack lunch; and a reassuring nob, letting him know that the plan is in action. Dave nobs in return and joins the other kids in their break room.

'Hurry Bro.'


	20. Not Much Longer Now

Chapter 20: Not Much Longer Now

Dave slumps down on the couch next to Timmy in the room. "You okay there, Dave?", Timmy asks with concern. "Yeah Tim, I'll be alright."

Dave examines the contents in the bagged lunch Tonya gave him. A roast beef sandwich, a large apple and a pack of crackers. Under the crackers was a very unexpected surprise for Dave, a box of apple juice. 'Hallelujah! Thank you Tonya!'. As much as Dave loves apple juice, he had never been so happy to see it in his life! Dave shoved the little straw into the carton and sucked up every last drop of the sacred nectar. "Dang Dave, you must really like apple juice or something.", Timmy light fully asked. "A mere 'really like' does not even begin to describe my relationship with this sacred nectar of God." "You're silly Dave.", Timmy playfully elbowed him. "Whatever you say, Tim-Bo.", Dave simply shrugged and tried to finish his lunch.

'Not much longer, Timmy. Bro is coming!', was the only thought that kept Dave from the brink of insanity.

"Okay people, let's go over the plan one more time. We are doing a raid of the Moon River Inn, where we believe Noir is housing the kids before he ships them off to Shanghai. Now, we don't know how much time we have, so we don't have a moment to loose. So here's the plan. We're going to send Strider into the Inn, to make sure that that's INDEED where the kids are. Once he finds out, he'll signal for us, and that's when we go in. Remember, DO NOT SHOOT unless you are fired upon! Take Noir alive! Got it?", Jane spoke to the team before they headed out. "Yes ma'am!"

"Crocker, can I have a word with you for a moment.", Baxter pulled Jane aside. "Are you sure about this? Do you really want to send this guy in, with a gun? I mean you seen what he almost done to Call when we,","Yes Detective Baxter, I'm sure. He promised himself that HE would be the one to find Dave. He promised Dave that he would. Besides, I trust him. I have full faith that he can do this.", Jane reassured him. "Okay, if you say so."

"You ready Strider?", Jane smiled at Dirk. "You know it!", Dirk said with confidence.

'Not much longer now. Hang on, Little Man. Big Bro is bringing in the calvary!'


	21. Eavesdropping

Here's another chapter for y'all.

Chapter 21: Eavesdropping

The rest of the afternoon went on fairly peaceful at the Moo River Inn. Clients had slowed down surprising a lot for a Saturday. Usually it was their busiest day of the week. Even some of the men working at the Inn seemed to be absent. And the calmness was a little bit unnerving for Dave.

"It's quiet around here, too quiet.", Dave stated, looking out a window toward the docks. He had seen the van go that way several times already. 'I wonder what their up too?' "What do you mean by that Dave?", Timmy looked up from the comic book that he found in the room. "It just feels too quiet around here, Tim. It's alittle unnerving if you ask me." "Well, I like the quiet. It's peaceful.", Timmy returned to his comic book. Dave saw the van pull back up and some men load some more stuff into the back of it. "I wonder what they're doing down there?"

"Is that everything?", one of the men said loading the last of the boxes into the van. "Almost, the only thing we have left to do is just assemble the beds in the shipping unit. The boss said he wants these kids shipped out by midnight, and we don't have alot of daylight hours left. We need to get a move on."

Dave saw the two men get back in the van and drive back off toward the dock. He knew they were discussing something, he just didn't know what. And his curiosity was getting the best of him.

Tonya was sitting a the bar, watching something on T.V.. The Inn had pretty much died down since lunch time, when everyone starting making the preparations. 'Dirk, I hope you get here soon...', Tonya sunk her head into her hands. 'What if they don't get here in ti...', "Hey Tonya, what's going on around here? Where's everybody at?", Dave asked as he walked into the bar, breaking Tonya from her thoughts. "Huh? What'd you say sweetie?", Tonya said lifting her head up. "It's too quiet around here, where is everybody?" "I don't know sweetie.", Tonya lied, "I'm sure that their around here somewhere."

Dave wasn't buying it, he knew Tonya was lying, and Tonya knew that he knew that she was lying. Dave sat down at the bar, "Tonya, what's going on around here?", Dave looked her in the eyes. The guilt was eating Tonya up inside, but she just couldn't tell him. It would mean certain death, for both of them. She already risked her life once, she couldn't do it again. "It's nothing Dave, everything is fine!" Yeah, now Dave defiantly knew something was up. Fine, if Tonya wasn't going to tell him, he'd have to find out on his own.

When Tonya wasn't looking, Dave quietly got up from his seat, and snuck out into the hallway that adjoined the bar area. When Tonya looked up and saw that Dave wasn't there, she just assumed that he left it at that and gone back into the break room with the others and didn't give it much thought. The hallway was dark so Dave stayed close to the wall and quietly tiptoed down the hall was quietly as he could. He knew that if he was caught, he would be dead meat. But he just had to know what was going on around here.

Dave heard a voice coming from a door that he was slowly approaching. Far against his better judgment, he decided to stick his ear to the door and listened to the conversation that was taking place inside.

"Yes, uh huh, yes. Yes yes, all the preparations are being made now as we speak." 'Preparations...What preparations?' "Yes, I have arranged to have them shipped out tonight. When will you be expecting them? Next week at the earliest. Haha yes, just in time for the holidays!" 'What the hell is going on here? What are they doing? Who are they planning to ship out?', every instinct in Dave's body told him to run. To get the hell away from that door as fast as he could. But; before he could do anything, he heard foot steps approach the door and saw the door knob turn. Without a moment to spare, Dave quickly leaned up against the wall behind the door. Just as he pressed his body up against the wall as far as he could, the door opened and was just millimeters away from hitting Dave in the face. Without saying a word, Noir stepped out of his office and walked down the darkened hallway, completely oblivious that Dave was right behind his door.

As soon as he thought Noir was gone, he stuck his head out from behind the door, and peaked into the room. 'What the hell are you doing Strider? Get out of here before he comes back!', Dave's instincts screamed at him. Curiosity officially over came him when saw papers on Noir's desk. He quietly made his way into the room to get a look at those papers. He approached the desk and took a good look at the papers. 'What the hell is all this?' Words like shipment to Shangai, China from Seattle, Washington were on most of the papers. It took a moment for it to finally click. 'He-he's planning to ship us out to China! Oh my God! I-I have to warn the oth...', "Well, it looks like a little birdie saw more than he should have." Dave was quite certain that he just pissed his pants. He jumped around and saw Jack Noir standing in the door way.

'I'm dead...'


	22. Rescue

I said it once and I'll say it again. THANK YOU, THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED FAVORITED AND SUBSCRIBED TO THIS STORY! From the very bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you all soooo much!

PLEASE keep the reviews coming!

Here is the chapter you've all been waiting for…

Chapter 22: Rescue

"Okay people, this is it. That moment we have been anticipating for 6 long weeks now. Do you all remember the plan? Strider is gonna go in and make sure the kids are there. Team 1, you are to go in when he gives the signal. Team 2, you are to sweep the perimeter to make sure Noir or none of his accomplices escape. Team 3, you are to go down to docks and track down the van; we believe that they may be already getting stuff ready to move. Do you copy?", Jane spoke with fierce confidence "Yes ma'am!" "Okay, teams 2 and 3 go. Team 1, wait for my signal."

"Are you ready for this Strider?", Jane looked Dirk in the eyes. "As ready as I'll ever be.", Dirk spoke nervously. Jane could tell Dirk was nervous, more so than the rest of them, she could hear it in his voice. "Hey listen to me, you're gonna do fine, okay?" "It's not me I'm worried about, Janey.", Dirk said sadly. "I know Dirk, don't worry.", Jane smile as she gently touched his face. Dirk returned the smile. "You ready Strider?" "Let's do this." Dirk was going in.

Dave was up against a rock and a hard place. He had his back up against the wall, as Noir slowly approached him. "You-you were planning this all along! That's why you moved us!", Dave shakily spoke. "What can I say, I am a business man after all.", Noir slyly spoke, "You know the funny thing about business is Strider? When you don't get back what you put in, you just have to get it back yourself." At this point, Noir was just inches from Dave. "Wh-what?", Dave stammers. "Hoho, years ago. I made an investment with your brother, Dirk I believe it is. I lent him money, and I never saw my money in return." Dave's eyes widened. "You know what happens when I don't see my money in return? I take things, things that are very near and dear to those in my debt.", Noir unsheathed the same bowie knife from before and pressed it against Dave's neck.

At that moment, Dave finally understood. He understood everything. The reason why he was abducted, it was to get back at his brother for not paying Noir back. 6 weeks of sheer hell, all for an unpaid debt! The anger infuriated Dave. Before Noir could make the lethal slash across Dave's neck, Dave kneed Noir in the crotch as hard as he could. Noir let out an agonizing cry and when he buckled down, Dave punched him in the face so hard he thought he saw a tooth fly out of his mouth. Noir was on the ground in sheer agony.

There's a fine line between bravery and stupidity, and Dave was pretty sure he just crossed and took up residents in the stupidity line. Dave bolted for the door, and ran as fast as he could.

Dave ran back into the bar area to warn Tonya and the others.

"Dave? What happened? What did you do?", Tonya asked Dave frantically. "We-we gotta get the others Tonya! We have to go!"

Noir sat up and unlocked the glock he had stashed across his leg. He cocked it, and made his was out the door and stumbled into the hallway.

Both Dave and Tonya heard Noir coming down the hallway. "You go! I'll hold him off!" "But Tonya," "GO!", Tonya shoved Dave down the other hallway to safety. Leaving her alone to face a very pissed off Noir.

Dave ran all the way toward the end of the hall and into the break room where the other kids were. "COME ON GUYS, WE GOTTA GO!", Dave screams as he barges into the room. Dave runs around he room shaking them awake. "Wha-what's going on Dave?", Timmy groggily says. Dave ran toward a window and saw an FBI agent below securing the area below them. Dave took the nearest thing he could find, which turned out to be a stool, and smashed the window out. The FBI agent alerted the rest of his team to the back of the house. "Alright, come on everybody. Let's get a move on!", Dave led the kids to the window and slowly lowered each one of them out of the window and into the arms of agents below. "Dave, what about you?", Timmy asked before Dave lowered him down. "Don't worry about me Timmy, I'll be fine.", Dave lowered Timmy into the arms of the awaiting agent below. "Come on!", the agent calls back up to Dave. "Tonya...", without a second thought, Dave ran out of the room and back into the bar to help Tonya.

"Get out of my way, Tonya!", Noir growled as Tonya blocked the entrance to the hallway. "No!", Tonya spat. Noir reared his arm back and plunged the knife that was still in his hand into her shoulder. "AHHHH", Tonya screams out in pain as she is thrown to the floor. Noir is about to fire a shot into her head, when Dave comes up from behind him and tackles him. Noir easily over powers Dave and pins him to the floor. Noir punches Dave in the side of the face "This is something I should have done a long time ago!", Noir raises his arm to shoot Dave right between the eyes.

"DAVE!", a voice comes hurling toward Noir. Dirk Strider tackles Noir with full force, completely knocking him off Dave. "B-Bro?", Dave says disoriented, "Is that, really you?" Weak and disoriented, Dave can only helplessly watch as the two men fight for control. Noir would pin Dirk and punch him a couple of times. Then Dirk would pin Noir and deliver the blows ten fold. During the rustle, Noir got ahold of his gun, and was about to shoot Dirk; when Tonya crawls up to him and pulls out the knife in her shoulder, and stabs Noir in the back with it. Noir collapses to his side, and rolls off Dirk; just as they hear Team 1 storm the building.

"DAVE!", Dirk crawls over to Dave and scoops him in his arms. At long last, he finally had his baby brother back! "BRO!", Dave cries as his brother held him. "Oh Dave! I thought I lost you!", Dirk cries as he smothers his brother with hugs and kisses. Dave looks up from Dirk's shoulder, and sees Noir raise his arm to fire a single bullet into Dirk's head. Without thinking, Dave struggles out of his brother's arms, and into the path of the bullet. Dave pushes his brother out of the way just in time. "NOOOOO!", Dirk screams as Dave falls to the floor with a bullet wound in this chest. Team 1 quickly storms into the room and apprehend Noir.

"NOOOO! D-D-DA-VE!", Dirk cries as he cradles Dave's head. In a moment of sheer agony, Dirk takes his gun and unloads it into Noir. Noir's reign of terror is over. Dirk dropped the gun and looked into his brother's red irises. His pupils were completed dilated and the life in his eyes were gone. Dave Strider was dead...

Oh, don't worry my dears. This story is not over yet…


	23. Revive

You guys seriously think that I would let Dave die?

Chapter 23: Revive

...Or so it seemed.

"He has a pulse, but it's weak.", one of the EMS reported, "Please sir, you must had him over. Or he will surely die." Dirk was cradling his brother so tightly, that the EMS was barely able to read his pulse. But reluctantly, Dirk handed him over to the EMS to be placed on the gurney. Dirk looked across the room and saw them load Tonya up onto another gurney. She looked unconscious.

Jane was outside during the raid of the Inn. She had seen to it that the 6 kids that Dave helped escape had been safely taken to the hospital, and that Noir's other accomplices were apprehended. All Noir's accomplices were at the dock, loading everything up and getting ready to ship out the kids. They were just in time.

Jane's heart skipped a couple of beats when she saw gurneys being lifted out of the inn. "Oh my God!", she takes off running toward the gurneys. "I'm sorry Agent Crocker. We have a casualty, and two severely wounded.", Agent Baxter tried to stop her from going any closer. "Oh my God who?" "Strider killed Noir, and Noir injured Dave and another woman." Jane saw Dirk walk out of the Inn, holding onto Dave's hand as he was carried out on the gurney. Jane saw the look on Dirk's face, it was the look of absolute emptiness. "DIRK!", Jane ran past Agent Baxter. Jane's voice seemed to have broke Dirk out of his stupor. "Jane...", Dirk lets go of Dave's hand for a moment and collapses to his knees. "Oh my God Dirk! What happened?", Jane ran to his side, trying to pick him up off the ground. "He...Noir...jumped and was...shot...", Dirk blankly mumbles. Dirk was completely in shock of what just happened. Everything felt like such a blur to him right now. Jane picks Dirk up off the ground, and leads him to the ambulance that Dave was being put into. "Dirk snap out of it!", Jane starts shaking him. "Huh? What?", Dirk shakes his head, trying to get ahold of himself. "Dirk, Dave needs you right now. He needs you to be strong, for both of you." 'Come on Strider, you can't fall apart now! Dave needs you!', Dirk nods to Jane and jumps into the ambulance with his brother.

While Dave's ambulance drove off, Jane got into the ambulance with Tonya. "Is she conscious?", Jane asked the EMT. "Yes ma'am, but she lost a good bit of blood." "Ma'am, can you tell me your name?" "T-Ton-ya." "Tonya, are you the one that called Dirk this morning?" "Is, is Dave okay?", Tonya asks, answering Jane's question. "He's holding on. We're taking y'all to the hospital." Tonya didn't say anything after that. All she could do was pray that Dave would make it.

"Dave? Dave, Little Man can you hear me?", Dirk leans down to his brother and gently strokes his hair. "It's me Bro. I-I need you to hold on for me okay?", Dirk tried but miserably failed at holding back the tears. "B-Br-o?", Dave whispers. "Yes Dave, I'm right here! I'm not leaving you I promise!", Dirk cried. Dave tried to open his mouth and say something, but Dirk stopped him. "No, no save your strength.", Dirk tearfully said. "I love you Bro...", a tear rolls down Dave's cheek. "I love you too, Little Man.", Dirk wipes the tear from his eyes and kisses his forehead. Dave felt himself slipping...

"He's going into hypovolemic shock!", the EMS alerted as they pulled up to the hospital. "No no no no no Dave! Dave stay with me!, Dirk cried. As soon as the ambulance came to a halt, the EMS rolled Dave into the operating room, leaving Dirk in the waiting room.

Jane arrived with Tonya at around the same time as Dave and Dirk. While Tonya was being rushed into another operating room, Jane ran into the waiting room to find Dirk. "DIRK!", Jane called out as soon as she saw him. "JANE!", the two ran towards each other and embraced each other tightly. "Oh Jane! D-D-Dave...he's...", "Shhhh shhhhhh, don't you talk like that Dirk Strider! He's a fighter! Do you honestly think that after everything that he has been through, that he would give up like this? No! He is going to pull through this!" Oh Dirk wanted to believe her, with every core of his being he wanted too. But he just didn't know if he could this time.

The doctors rushed Dave into surgery as soon as he was wheeled into the operating room. They quickly removed the bullet that was lodged in his chest, and tied off the artery that the bullet had knipped. But by the time Dave made it to the hospital, he had already lost a good amount of blood. Dave's EKG machine was beeping erratically. "He's going into shock people! We need that defibrillator now!" Dave started to flat line. "We're loosing him!" Suddenly, Dave felt himself being pulled from his body and into a blinding white light.

"Where am I?", Dave looks out and sees nothing but a white cloudy mist. "He-hello?" Dave looks out into the mist and starts to see a figure approaching him. "Hello?" "Hello David.", a kind, woman's voice comes out of the fog. As the figure gets closer, he can start to see that it is woman. The woman figure is clothed in a golden robe, with beautiful long blonde hair, and stunning amber eyes, just like Dirk's. This woman looked familiar to Dave, even though he was sure that he had never seen her before in his life. The woman almost looked like their..."Mama?", Dave calls out. "Yes Davey, it's me!" she opens up with loving arms and embraces her son. 'It is her! She looks just like she did in her picture!', Dave openly returns the hug. Cynthia Strider looks down at her son and wipes all the tears from his eyes. "It's okay baby, it's all going to be okay."

"Clear!"...beeeeep..."Clear!"...beeeeep..."Clear!"...beeeeep. After four tries on the defibrillator, the doctors were ready to give up. "I'm sorry doctor, it looks like we lost this one." The doctor looked down at Dave's body with sorrow. "He was so young. Go tell the brother, he didn't make it."

Dave and Cynthia can see as the nurse told Dirk the news. Dirk immediately takes off running toward the operating room, and he didn't stop until he reached Dave's bed side. Upon seeing the body of his little brother, Dirk Strider just completely breaks down. "D-D-D-A-A-A-V-VE! WHY GOD WHY?", Dirk cries out in pure agony. "IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME, NOT HIM!" Dirk collapses onto the body of his brother, and cried uncontrollably into his bandaged chest.

"Mama, I have to go back!", Dave is heart broken at the scene. Cynthia simply smiled and said, "I know baby. I will always love you and Dirk, no matter what and I am so proud of both of you!" Dave felt himself drift away from his mother, "Please tell your brother, I'm so proud of him!", Cynthia felt a tear roll down her cheek. "I love you Mama!", Dave called out as he let go of his mother's hand.

"D-D-Da-ve, please, come back!", Dirk sobbed as he cradled his head and held his hand. Dirk's sobbing only ceased when he felt a small hand curl around his fingers. "B-B-Bro?", Dave weakly whispered, opening up his eyes to see Dirk's blood shot amber eyes. "D-Dave?", "Mama, mama said she was real proud of you.", Dave weakly smiled. "Oh my God, DAVE!", filled with absolute joy, Dirk scoops up his brother and embraces him in a huge, warm, crushing hug. Both brothers cry like little babies in each other's arms. "I thought I lost you Dave! Please, please forgive me!", Dirk cries into Dave hair. Dave looked up at Dirk, "I already have!" Both Dave and Dirk looked into each other's eyes and Dirk knew exactly what Dave meant. He was referring back to the dream. "It's okay, Little Man, it's okay. I'm never gonna let anything happen to you ever again. I promise!", Dirk planted a big sloppy kiss on Dave's cheek.

Yeah I'll admit it, I even cried while writing this chapter!


	24. A Promise Fulfilled

Seriously you guys, THANK YO, THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS, FAVORITES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THIS STORY! You guys seriously do not how much it means to me to open up my email and see that someone has reviewed, subscribed to, or favorited my story!

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL!

This story's not over yet.

Please keep the reviews coming!

Chapter 24: A Promise Fulfilled

When a nurse walked in to retrieve Dave's body to take him to the morgue, she was completely surprised. She quickly ran out of the room and alerted the doctor. "Doctor! Doctor that boy is alive!", the nurse ran into a room where the doctor was treating another patient. The doctor immediately stopped what he was doing, "I'll be right back Timmy, okay.". The doctor hurried out of the room.

"Oh my God! It is an absolute miracle!", the doctor said as he saw Dave, very much alive after being pronounced dead. "Nurse we need to get him examined." "Yes sir.", the nurse left to get a wheel chair so they could take Dave to the examination room. "I'm sorry Mr. Strider, but you'll have to wait in the waiting room while we examine him." "Can't I be in there with him?", Dirk questioned not wanting his brother to leave his sight for a moment. "I'm sorry sir, it's protocol. We found that children become more distressed when their parents are with them during the examination process, especially after..." "Right", Dirk sadly stated. When the nurse returned with the wheel chair, Dirk reluctantly sat Dave in it. "I'll be right outside in the waiting room, okay Little Man?" "Okay. I love you Bro!" "I love you too!". The two brothers hug before Dave was wheeled out of the room. Dirk watched as Dave was wheeled in a room near the end of the hall before he retreated back into the waiting room.

Jane waited for Dirk to return to the waiting room. She had no idea of what just took place, how Dave Strider just cheated death. When Jane saw Dirk walk through the doors, she excepted him to be a complete mess; instead, she saw quite the opposite. He was...smiling, a true genuine smile was plastered on his face. Jane was very confused at first, until it hit her. "Dave's alive, Janey! He's alive and he's gonna be okay!", Dirk embraced her in a warm, cheerful hug. "Oh my God Dirk! That's so wonderful!", the two twirled around in the waiting room. The two were the happiest that they have been long, long time. The six week nightmare was finally over.

But soon, Jane's smile fades, "Dirk, I have to see about Tonya." "Excuse me Miss,", Jane approached the nurses station, "I need to see about a woman that was brought in with a stab wound to her shoulder, her name was Tonya..." "Daniels, Tonya Daniels. She was just brought of out surgery. She is in recovery room 4 down the hall." "Okay, thank you ma'am."

Tonya slowly awakened to the sound of an EKG machine beeping. "Ah man, wha-AHHH!", Tonya cried out as she tried to sit up, putting pressure on her right arm and shoulder. She looked down at her bandaged shoulder. "The knife just missed your subclavian artery. Another millimeter and you would've bled out before you made it to the hospital. You're lucky to be alive."' Jane said standing in the door way. "Thanks but who exactly are you?", Tonya looked at Jane questionable. "I'm sorry where are my manners. My name is Jane Crocker. I'm an agent for the FBI that specializes on child abduction cases. I've been working on Dave's case when I came across the cases of 6 other children that were abducted along the west coast in the past 18 months. My digging lead to the discover of an international child sex ring lead by Jack Noir." "What about Dave? Is he...", "He's gonna be okay. He's tough, and he has his brother. They're both going to be okay.", Jane smiled. Tonya lightly smiled in return. "What about the others?", Tonya asked. "Well, the kids were all taken here to the hospital, and we contacted all their parents, and I'm sure that they'll get here as soon as they can. Noir's accomplices were all arrested and will be tried." "What about Noir? Is he...", "Dead. At the scene, Dirk unloaded his gun into him when he shot Dave." Tonya smirked, "Good. Sick bastard finally got what he deserved." "You know I have to thank you, if it weren't for you, Noir would have had them on a shipping container by now. That was a huge risk you took calling Dirk.", Jane smiled as she sat down at the end of Tonya's bed. "Me? No don't thank me. I'm no hero. I'm just a horrible, wretched human being for letting this go on for so long. All those years, sitting by and doing nothing to save those poor innocent helpless kids.", Tonya began tearing up, "If you want to thank somebody. Thank Dave. He's the real hero in all this. I was just the one with the phone. He's the one who gave me his brother's number. He's the one who got the kids out. He's the one who stopped Noir from attacking me. And he's the one who broke through to my heart.", Tonya cried. Jane felt tears swell up in her eyes. She had no idea that Dave had done all that. He really was a hero; if not for him, is day, this moment, could have been a whole lot different. A few moments of silence filled the room. "Well Tonya, whether you believe it or not, I still consider you a hero, and I'm sure I'm not the only one that thinks so.", Jane spoke. "If you say so.", Tonya lightly replied, too tired to argue. "Hey listen. You look pretty beat. I'll be back in the morning to ask you questions if you're feeling well enough. But if you need anything, just give me a call. Okay?", Jane said, handing Tonya her business card. "Okay, thank you. And give Dave my best wishes, will you?" " I will and again, thank you.", Jane said as she left the room.

Back in the waiting room, Dirk felt like he needed to call someone who very well deserved to know of the day's events. "This is English.", Dirk heard on the other line. "Jake, man I have some great news to tell ya!", Dirk ecstatically said over the phone. "Oh Dirk it's so nice to hear from you my good man! And I'm sorry to say this but, wait? Did you say that you had 'great news'?", Jake confusingly answered, unaware and uninformed of what took place just hours ago. "Yeah! We found them! We found Dave! He's alright, he's gonna be okay!" "OH MY GOD! Dirk that is wonderful! How did you all find them? I wasn't even able to track down the van.", Jake said, surprised. "I don't know man, just out of no where, this woman just called me up and lead us right to this place called the Moon River Inn in Seattle." "And what of Noir? Was he there, were you all able to catch him?" "I sent his ass straight to hell! I made damn sure that he was gonna pay for laying so much as a hand on my little man!" "Dave wasn't hurt was he?" "Yes he was.", Dirk felt tears in his eyes again, recalling the horrible events, "Noir shot him in the chest. I lost it. I was so scared. I thought I lost him. And I did for a little bit.", Dirk sobbed, "But, he pulled through. He's a Strider after all.", Dirk chuckled a little, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Oh my God Dirk! I'm so sorry! I had no idea!" "Don't sweat it man, it's alright. He's alright, he's a tough little thing.", Dirk almost said with pride. "And where is the little man at? He's with you isn't he?" "He would be if I had anything to do with it. The doctors took him back to be examined and they wouldn't let me go back there with him." Dirk looked up and saw Jane come back into the waiting room. "Hey listen, I gotta go. I see Jane coming. I'll talk to you later my man." "Okay, it was great to hear the wonderful news my friend! I'm so happy for you all! And give Dave my best wishes!" "Will do my man!", Dirk hung up the phone as Jane approached him.

"English?" "You know it.", Dirk lazily laid back in his chair. "Don't fall asleep Strider. You need to be awake whe..." "The family for Dave Strider.", a doctor in a white lab coat called into the waiting room. "Speak of the devil.", Jane finished. Dirk immediately sprung up and walked toward the doctor. "How is he doctor? Is he okay?", Dirk immediately questioned. "Well Mr. Strider, aside from the physical trauma, internally and externally. And mental and physical exhaustion. He's gonna be okay." "Physical trauma?", Dirk asked. "Yes, as you know the bullet wound in his chest. There is also bruising on the left side of his face. A few other bruises on his arms and legs. And Mr. Strider, I hate to inform you but your brother was raped, multiple times." The doctors words stuck in Dirk like a knife, of course he already knew by now that his brother was raped. But hearing it with your own ears is completely different. "We found scaring deep in his...," "I know.", Dirk clenched his eyes shut at thought of what his baby brother must have went through on a daily basis. He felt a tear roll down his cheek. "We called in a therapist who specializes with children who have been through traumatic experiences such as this, who will have a chance to see each of the children. I highly recommend that all the parents see he too." "I will.", Dirk said wiping his eyes. "I have prescribed some pain medication and an antibiotic. And between each therapy session, please be sure to give young Dave a heavy dose of TLC." "A definite will do!", Dirk lightly chuckled. "Now, if you two will follow me. I'll lead you to his room."

"Now I gave him a muscle relaxer, before the examination, so he may be out of it.", the doctor informed Dirk and Jane as he lead them to Dave's room. Dave was laying in his bed with an I.V. sticking out of his arm, trying not to nod of to sleep, when Dirk and Jane got to the room. There were two beds in the room, one of them was closed off by the curtain around it. Dave's bed was on the far side of the room. Dirk immediately made his way to his brother's bedside.

"Dave?", Dirk gently stroked his brother's bruised cheek. "B-ro.", Dave sleepily turns his head to face his brother. Dirk felt tears in his eyes as he nilled down by his side. "H-Hey, Little Man!", Dirk gently cupped Dave's face in his hands. "I'm s-swee-py.", Dave said half out of it, fighting off sleep as best he could. Dirk gave out a slight chuckle. "Then, you should got to sleep.", Dirk said brushing a few bangs out of his eyes. "I don' wanna. I'm scared." Dirk looked at him, kinda confused. "Why are you scared Little Man? I'm right here, Big Bro's not gone let anything hurt you.", Dirk softly asked. "Cuz, I'm scared this is all a dream. And I'll wake up in there again." Dirk felt the tears roll down his face. "No, this isn't a dream Little Man.", Dirk sobbed, "I'm right here, I'm right here. I'm not gone let anything happen to you ever again. I'll be right here when you wake up.", Dirk promised as he kissed Dave's forehead. Dave tiredly lifted up his arm and wiped the tears from his brother's eyes. Dirk held onto Dave's hand and kissed it softly. The brothers stare at each other for a few more moments before Dirk gently lifts up Dave's body and snuggles up against him in Dave's bed. Dirk holds him close and begins to sing softly into his ear, "On the wind, cross the sea. Hear this song and remember." "Soon you'll be, home with me,", Dave picks up. "Once upon a December.", both brothers finish their song together.

Jane stood in the door way the whole. She felt it wasn't her place to join in when the Striders were reuniting. It was late and she felt that she should be going. But before she left, after the Strider brothers finished their lullaby, she quietly walked into the room and kissed each brother on the forehead. "Pleasant dreams you two.", she quietly said as she pulled the blanket over both of them. She then quietly turns around and exits the room.


	25. Rekindle

From the bottom of my heart and soul, THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO STUCK WITH ME THIS LONG THROUGHOUT THE STORY! THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED, FAVORITED AND SUSCRIBED TO THIS STORY! YOU GUYS SERIOUSLY, SERIOUSLY DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO ME! EVERY REVIEW, EVERY EMAIL THAT I GOT SAYING THAT SOMEONE HAS SUSCRIBED TO OR FAVORITED MY STORY HAS PLAYED A PART IN ITS MAKING. IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOUR SUPPORT, THIS STORY WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN THIS FAR.

Chapter 25: Rekindle

Dirk woke up the next morning exactly as he asleep, holding his baby brother in his arms. He smiles and kisses Dave on the forehead. He brushes a few rebellious bangs out of his eyes. For a few moments, he stares at his brother with absolute adoration. Only taking his eyes off of him when the alluring aroma of the Arabian elixir fills the room. "Good morning!", Jane enters the room, completely euphoric, with a box of coffee and doughnuts in hand, "Coffee and doughnuts for my favorite boys!" Dirk rolled over and smiled, "Aww, thanks Janey.", Dirk said, carefully sitting up, not wanting to disturb his brother. Jane walked over to the bed and gave both Dirk and Dave a warm hug. Dirk graciously returned the hug. "I brought these for Dave.", Jane handed Dirk the notorious aviators. Dirk held them close to his chest, "Thank you Jane.", Dirk wiped the forming tear from his eye. He placed them on the nightstand so they would ready whenever Dave woke up. "What have my boys been up to this morning?", Jane smiled as she handed Dirk the box and a cup of coffee. "Asleep.", Dirk said as he engulfed the pastry. "You look like you've been busy already. What have you been doing?" "Well, first off. I went and got coffee and doughnuts and took them down to the station. And had my ass chewed out by Baxter.", Jane said sipping her coffee. "Why?" "For letting you go in on the raid. He said it was a careless move based on my frayed emotions, or some crap like that. I told him that if I hadn't then Dave and Tonya would both be dead. He said we needed him alive so we could get information about other possible brothels around the country that he is supposed to be running. I told him some things just couldn't be helped. That a man that powerful, wouldn't have given up anything, even if we tortured him. But with all the evidence that turned up from the raid, and the testimony of Tonya and his other goons, we didn't need him after all. You throw the book at somebody and you'd be surprised what they say. Just from their testimony alone, we now have the location of six other brothels from coast to coast. He would have just been a waste of taxpayer money.", Jane admitted. "What about Tonya? What's gonna happen to her?", Dirk genuinely asked with concern. "I talked to her this morning. She's doing okay, just still hurting from the stab wound. She said that she will offer up any information that she has whenever we're ready. I told her that she would have to be arrested for accessory but for her cooperation, I told her I could probably get her a lighter sentence, maybe even parole. She said she didn't want a lighter sentence. She said that she wanted to serve her full time in prison where she belongs. She said she deserved it." Dirk didn't know what to say after that.

From their conversation, Dave began to stir from his sleep. "Bro?", Dave sleepily called out. "I'm right here Dave, I'm right here.", Dirk immediately turned his attention back to Dave. Dave sat up, and tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes. Dave squinted from the bright light illuminating the room. Dirk reached over and grabbed the aviators from off the nightstand. "There,", Dirk put the aviators right where they belonged, "Is that better?" "Much", Dave smiled. "Hey, Jane brought us some coffee and doughnuts. Do you want any?", Dirk smiled at his brother. "Sure.", Dave said smiling. "Good morning sweetheart!", Jane rushed to Dave and gave him a big hug, "How did you sleep?" "Best damn night of sleep I had in a long time.", Dave happily answered as he picked a doughnut from the box. Dave slowly sipped his coffee, "Oh yes." Dirk and Jane both smiled. There was a few quiet moments when a very unexpected voice broke the semi-silence.

"Man, that coffee's smellin' good." The voice came to a T-total shock to both Jane and Dirk. Dave knew the voice all too well. "Hey Timmy!", Dave called out. "Dave?", Timmy flung the curtain back around his bed on the other side of the room. "Hey Timmy, we got coffee and doughnuts. You want some?" "Oh my God, Dave! You're okay!" "Well as okay as I can get right now." "Uhhh, Dave?", Dirk asked, wondering who this boy across the room was, and how did he and Dave know eachother, "Who is this?" "Oh sorry,", Dave replied, "Bro, Jane, this is Timmy. Timmy, this is my bro and our friend Jane." "It's a pleasure to meet you, Timmy!", Jane walked over and gave Timmy a hug. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Jane.", Timmy returned the hug. "Hi, Timmy. I'm Dirk Strider, Dave's bro.", Dirk just went with the classic handshake. "Oh it's good to finally meet you Mr. Dirk! Dave told me all about how awesome you are. Are you really a sword fighting ninja D.J.?", Timmy excitedly asked, returning the handshake. Dirk couldn't help but laugh, "Why yes, yes I am!", Dirk said with pride, holding out his chest. "It's no wonder where Dave gets his coolness from!" Laughter erupted in the room.

"Well it sounds like we have a party going on in here.", the doctor said as he walked in the room. "Oh good morning, doctor.", Jane said, wiping the tears from her eyes from laughing so hard. "Good morning all! I just need to do a quick check up, and a nurse will be in shortly to change Dave's bandages. And Timmy, you have some visitors.", the doctor stepped aside. "MOM, DAD!", Timmy shrieked in sheer joy. "TIMMY!", both parents rushed toward their son's bed side. Their reaction was much like Dirk's when he first embraced Dave when they had been reunited after going on 7 hellacious weeks. Both mother and father smothered their son in hugs and kisses. All three across Dave's side of the room couldn't help but tear up a little.

When Timmy's side of the room calmed down a bit, Timmy introduced his parents to his new friends. "Mom, Dad. This is Dave, his brother Dirk, and their friend Jane.", Timmy said pointing to each of them, "Dave is one of the kids that was there, too. And this is his awesome sword fighting ninja, D. brother Dirk. And that's their friend Jane." "It's a pleasure to meet all of you.", both Timmy's parent's sniffled, wiping the tears from their eyes. "Would you care for any coffee, a doughnut maybe?", Jane politely offered them. "Actually, a cup of coffee would be nice.", Timmy's father spoke up, "We've been driving all night since we got the call yesterday afternoon that Timmy had been found safe and sound. A cup of coffee sounds pretty good right now." Jane handed both of them a cup. "Is there anything else that I can get either of you?", Jane kindly asked. "No ma'am, but thank you. We have all we need right here.", Timmy's mother wrapped her still shaking arms around her son.

The six in the room carried out conversations throughout the morning and into the afternoon. And by late that evening, all six got to know each other fairly well. The Striders had told the Hartmans, Timmy and his parents, alittle bit about themselves. Dirk had told them that he and Dave were from Houston, Texas. That Dirk had raised Dave since birth. Dirk had told them that he was an inspiring D.J.. Dave had told them that he really like to draw, that he hoped to get a comic book published one day; but what he'd really wanted to do was become a music artist and create sick beats like his bro.

The Hartmans told the Striders that they were from San Diego, California and that owned a bakery called 'Cakes by the Hart Bakery' that specialized in wedding cakes and cakes for parties. Mr. Hartman joked to Dirk and Jane that if they got married to give them a call. Dave had asked Timmy what he wanted to be when he grew up. Timmy had some ideas of what he wanted to be when he grew up, but he wasn't sure. He said that whatever he did, he wanted to help people.

While the families were conversing, Jane sat quietly on end of Dave's, listening to all their stories. To her, it was days like this made everything she's been through worth it. Experiencing first hand what these children went through, working round the clock gathering evidence, and working tirelessly on this case, and hearing of one heartbreaking abduction after another. Then seeing families reunited with their loved one(s), seeing the joy in their faces, it made it all worth wild. It's what kept her going.

"So sword fighting ninja D.J., huh?", Mr. Hartman asked Dirk. "Yeah, give or take. Sword fighting ninja by day, D.J. by night.", Dirk leaned back in his chair. "Jane, is it? What is your occupation?", Mrs. Hartman asked curiously. Jane smiled, "I am special agent for the FBI." Mr. and Mrs. Hartman looked at Jane like she was half crazy. "I am special agent Jane Crocker, and I specialize in child abduction cases, and I have been working on this case for 18 long months." The Hartmans were literally at a loss for words. Even Dave was surprised. He had known Jane his whole life, and he didn't have any clue as to what she did for a living. He thought she was a baker since she liked to bake so much. Talk about top-secret.

Jane goes on to tell them what drove her to became an FBI agent. How her experiences in South East Asia as a reporter changed her life so much that she dedicated her life to rescuing children sold into the sex-slavery. She told them that she couldn't bear the thought of an innocent child going through what she almost went through. She goes onto explain how through her connection with Jake English, that they were able to track down the van that was used in the abductions, which ultimately lead the shake down at the Weeping Willow in Sacramento. And how, with the information that they got out of Call, that everything was all linked to an international child sex ring lead by Jack Noir.

"Wait, you mean to tell me that goofy Jake English is an FBI informant?", Dave questioned, "What's next? Are you going to say that Roxy a Russian spy?" "No Little Man, Roxy is just keeping the Russian economy afloat from all the vodka she drinks.", Dirk chuckled, rubbing a hand in his brother's hair. "Excuse me, who's 'Roxy'?", Mrs. Hartmen asks. "She's a friend of ours." "Oh."

"But, let me tell ya. If it weren't for Dave giving Tonya Dirk's number, we would have never found them in time. Every lead we had after the Weeping Willow was a dead end.", Jane continues. 'Tonya!', Dave's memory is jogged, "Jane, what about Tonya? Is she alright?" "Yes Dave, she's okay. I talked to her this morning and she is doing fine. She asked that same thing about you. I told her that you were with your brother and that your were going to be okay." Dave couldn't help but smile.

"And he helped us escape too, he lowered us out of the window to the nice FBI people.", Timmy chimed in. Dirk looked down at his little brother with absolute amazement. He was never as more proud of Dave as he was in this moment. Not only had Dirk felt that Dave had saved HIS life, but the lives of six other children as well. If ever there were a definition of a true hero in Dirk Strider's dictionary, it was sitting in his lap. Dirk embraces Dave in huge hug. "My little man," Dirk chokes up, "I'm so proud of you." "We're both proud of you.", Jane added, gently placing a hand on the bandaged side of this face. Dave warmly smiles in return and, before Jane could pull away, pulls her in a huge warm hug. Surprised, Jane graciously returns the hug. Being the ninja that he is, Dirk swiftly embraces both of them in his two strong arms. The three soon fell asleep like that in each other's arms.

Across the room, with Timmy now asleep in her arms; Mrs. Hartmen looked at the three on the other side of the room and whispered into her husband's ear, "I hear wedding bells."

I told y'all that this story wasn't over!


	26. Healing

This chapter was brought to you by 8 cups of pure Brazilian coffee and a very sleepless night.

Chapter 26: Healing

* * *

The next morning was bright and sunny, a rare occasion in the Seattle area. The gleaming sunlight peaked through the blinds in Dave and Timmy's room, bringing a little light into the still dark room. Dirk was leaned back in his recliner, with Dave and Jane still in his arms, both curled up. During the night, Jane had took off both boys iconic sunglasses as well as her own glasses. Making Dirk's unshielded eye lids a perfect target for the few rays of light that managed to get through. Dirk tried to shake off the pestering light, but the damage was already done. He awake now. He reached for his sunglasses ti protect his eyes from the sun, when he noticed the two figures in his arms. Dirk smiled as he looked down at them. His little man, and the woman how had brought them back together. His kissed them both on the forehead. In his left arm, Dave slept like an sweet, innocent little angel. While in his right arm, Jane was curled up to his chest, looking like a raven haired goddess. Dirk couldn't believe how in such a sort period of time, how close the two had grown. He was starting to wonder if she could be the one. He was about to lean in and kiss her on the lips when,

"Good morning everyone."

'Damn...'

That gosh darn doctor had to stroll in here and spoil the moment.

The doctor turned on the fluorescent lights in the room, waking up everyone else in the room.

Dave stirred in Dirk's arms, and like his brother, tried to shield his eyes from the blinding light. Dirk reaches for Dave's sunglasses and put them on his face. "Thank you Bro.", Dave yawned. "No problem Little Man.", Dirk smiled down at his brother as he laid him down in his bed so he could be checked out by the doctor. "Good morning doctor.", both Mr. and Mrs. Hartman greeted the doctor. "Good morning.", Jane greeted the doctor also. "Good morning Hartmans, Striders, and Ms. Crocker.", the doctor replied, "Now lets see how you two are doing."

"Okay, both you boys are doing good. Making good progress.", the doctor said referring to Dave and Timmy. "Dave, your stitches are looking good. Swelling has gone down some. That's a good sign. You still need to be on the antibiotics.", the doctor continues, "If everything else goes well, both you boys should be able to go home in about a week. But, before I can send you home; I HIGHLY recommend that all the children and parents see the therapist we had called in. She is a super nice lady, who specializes with children who had been traumatic experiences such as kidnapping and rape. I have seen nothing but the best results from her." "We will.", Jane instantly agreed. She seen full well what children, who have been kidnapped and raped, go through if they do not get the specialized help that they need. Over 90% of the cases that she has seen, fall onto the world of drugs and alcohol to cope with the pain if they don't seek this critical help. She refused to see these children fall into that statistic. "When will they be able to see her, doctor?", Jane asked. "Today actually. She has already set up appointments for each child individually, the parents, and then both the child and the parents. Timmy's appointment is scheduled at 12 pm, and Dave's is scheduled at 1." "Okay, thank you doctor."

1 O' clock rolled around, and it was time for Dave's appointment. "Dave, I really need you to listen to what the therapist has to say. It is really important that you listen. And don't be afraid to say what you're feeling, okay?", Jane told Dave. "Okay.", Dave simply answered. "Good."

When the nurse came in to wheel Dave to the therapist's office, she looked at Jane and Dirk and just couldn't help but ask. "Is he your son?" "Yeah", Jane smiled and said before Dirk could say anything. Dirk couldn't help the ear-to-ear grin that crept up on his face. "He certainly is a pretty little boy.", the nurse doted on Dave. "Thank ya, he gets it from me.", Dirk replied. Jane couldn't help but to laugh as she shook her head.

The therapy sessions worked wonders on Dave.

Dave thought that all you do during these sessions was just lay on a couch, pouring out your emotions, while the therapist repetitively asks "And how do you feel about that?" But this one was different, it was like she knew EXACTLY what they went through. She taught them to channel their emotions. Turn negative thoughts and feelings into positive encouragement. She told them to take their favorite things to do, hobbies, and use them help to curve the emotions. To use their talents to help overcome their past. For instance; Dave likes to draw, write his own music and lyrics, and of course rap, and now, still according to Timmy, apparently sings. So she told him to use those abilities to help channel out any anger, negative thoughts and feelings. At first, Dave thought it was total crap; but by their third session, it was totally working. After the first session, Dave heard a song on the radio and he started singing along with it. While he was singing, he felt different, like all those negative feelings he had just seemed to disappear. He felt...happy. After the third session, he was already writing his own songs and even teaching Timmy how to sing. Jane had even gotten him a little ukulele, which Dirk had so graciously dubbed 'the little chibi guitar', so he could add music to his songs. Not only did Dave's singing make him feel better, but it also made other people around to hear him feel better. It's so funny how a few words of encouraging advice could change somebody's whole perspective.

The sessions for the parents worked wonders on Dirk too. He still blamed himself for Dave being abducted in the first place. He felt that if he hadn't had abandoned him, then Dave wouldn't have walked home that fatefully October afternoon. And no matter what he told Dave, he still had a hard time forgiving himself. The therapist told him that the first step on the road to healing is forgiveness. It took a while, but gradually, Dirk finally forgave himself for what he felt like he let happen to his brother.

Dave also had a time with the forgiveness process. As much as he wanted to forgive, deep down he was unwilling and still angry. Not at his brother, but at Noir. He was so angry at Noir for what he had done to him, to them, and to the lives he destroyed. The therapist told him that he could never be able to heal if he didn't forgive those that have hurt him. That the hate and anger he was feeling was an ever consuming fire that would eventually burn him alive if he didn't put it out. Dave knew that if he was to overcome this, than he would need to forgive. The problem was he didn't know if he could. How could you forgive someone who tortured you for their own sick gain? Dave didn't know how anyone could, until he talked to Timmy.

After that specific session, Dave went back to their play room in the pediatric center of the hospital with a vacant expression on his face. Timmy was sitting at the table, coloring, when he noticed Dave with such a sad look on his face. "What's the matter Dave?" "I just don't know if I can do it, Timmy." "Do what?" "Forgive, forgive Noir for doing 'this' to us." "Why can't you? I already have." Timmy's words stopped Dave in his tracks. "W-what?" "I'm was mad at Noir too, and I'm sad about what he done to us. But I've forgiven him Dave. When you don't forgive someone, you let them win; and from the inside, they will still continue to hurt you. But if you forgive them, you are the winner. They can't hurt you anymore. That hurting feeling on the inside, hurts a whole lot worse than anything that they can do to you physically. The physical pain will fade away, but burning hate inside will hurt forever if you let it. That therapist lady was right Dave, forgiveness really is the first step to healing." Timmy's words hit Dave like a ton of bricks. How could have he had been so blind to his own pity and anger; when a child that went through almost the exact same thing could see past the darkness, past the anger, and forgive the man that hurt them? Suddenly, Dave found it in his heart to forgive Noir. Timmy was right, the freedom of forgiveness is liberating, more powerfully than anything Dave had ever felt before. Dave embraced Timmy in a warm hug, which Timmy graciously returned. "Are you ready to forgive?", Timmy asked, already knowing the answer. "Thank you!", Dave said as a tear rolled down his cheek. The last chain that Noir had on Dave had finally been broken, and Dave could finally begin to heal.

* * *

During this week, Dave and Dirk had grown closer than they had been in months. This experience made them both realize just how they meant to each other. How one was lost without the other. Dirk had made a vow to never let Dave out of his sight ever again. He was so afraid that he would turn his back and he would be gone again. So far, we was making good on his vow, maybe a little too good. While Dirk was doing everything he could to make sure Dave was in his immediate sight, even to the extent of bathing him on a few occasions; he seemed to have forgotten to take care of his own personal hygiene. Jane warned him that if he didn't go and take a shower that she was going to take a bucket of soapy water and pour it on him. He didn't head her warning. Oh but Jane Crocker doesn't play games. 5 minutes later, Jane walked back in the room with a bucket of soapy water in hand and poured it on him. Dave and Timmy almost peed themselves they were laughing so hard. Soaking wet and laughing at it all, Dirk Strider finally said, "Well I think I'll go take that shower now."

After that little incident, Dirk Strider renewed his vow. That he would know where Dave is from now on, at all times. This one was much more flexible.

But Dave really didn't mind all the extra attention he was getting from his brother. 2 months ago, he would feel wierded out if his bro hugged him more than once a day, or even told him that he loved him for that matter. Stuff like that just wasn't in the Strider 'Bro Code'. But now, he could care less about the Bro Code; all that affectionate stuff felt nice. It made him feel just how much his brother loved him and cared about him, and how much he missed him. That he was the most important thing in his brother's life. Screw the Bro Code!

Dirk and Jane's relationship flourished during this time also. The two were starting to develop strong feelings toward each other, even after the bucket of water incident. Dirk told her she always did know how to get her point across. The two would smile and laugh at each other all the time, sometimes for no reason at all. That first kiss the two shared together was magical, like two forces just collided and created something new and wonderful. The two were 'unofficially' a couple.

Jane was the only woman to see Dirk behind the shell. Deep under that strong Strider shell, there was a kind loving man, who loves his brother and his friends more than life itself; and would do anything to protect them. Jane saw that very attractive in a man, that and well the fact that he had the body of a sex god. That night that Dirk held both her and Dave in his arms was the best night of sleep she had in a long time. She felt so safe and secure, in his arms. Like the world would have to go through hell itself to get to her. She had grown to see Dirk as much more than just a friends, and she already loved Dave like a son. Jane was seriously beginning to wonder if he could be the one.

Jane was the only person there for Dirk in his darkest hour. She comforted him and reassured him that everything was going to be alright. And Dirk could never thank her enough for that. She reminded Dirk so much of their mother. She was a genuine, kind hearted soul. She literally done everything she could to bring these kids home and reunite them with their families. Dirk didn't know what he would have done if he didn't have her through all this. Ever since their mom died, Dirk wondered if he would ever find the right woman. To be half the woman their mother was, and more importantly, to be a mother that Dave deserved. Dirk was seriously beginning to wonder if Jane was that woman. Dirk couldn't help but wonder if she felt about him, the same way he felt about her.

But, no matter what, Dave would always come first and is and would always be the most important thing in his life.

* * *

Oh and by the way, the bucket scene actually happened. One day; many moons ago, before I was born, my father didn't take a bath for like 5 days or something. And while he was laying on the couch, my mother dumped a bucket of soapy water on him. True story.


	27. Homecoming

HOLY CRAP THIS IS LIKE THE LONGEST CHAPTER EVER!

Again, I cannot express this enough. THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYONE WHO TOOK THE TIME TO READ AND REVIEW THIS STORY! AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO FAVORITED AND SUBSCRIBED TO THIS STORY!

YOU GUYS ARE SO AWESOME AND I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! THANK YOU ALL SOOOOOO MUCH!

PLEASE KEEP THE REVIEWS COMING!

Chapter 27: Homecoming

A week in the hospital and Dave was finally ready to come home, and he couldn't wait. He wanted nothing more than to get in the car, er plane rather, with his bro and get as far away from the California-Washington area as he could. He missed his friends terribly, and 7 weeks ago, he wondered if he would ever see any of them ever again. He couldn't wait to see them again.

Oh man, did he give them the surprise of a life time the when he gave John that call.

John was at home, studying with Jade while Rose was tutoring them for the big math test coming up. John had convinced his dad to let Jade and Rose stay the night so that they could cram for as much as they could for this test. Mr. Egbert agreed on one condition, that John could not have the girls in his room after 10. For what would hopefully be severely obviously reasons.

Dave decided to call him using Dirk's phone. John looked up from his notebook to the sound of his Con Air theme ringtone going off on his phone. He looked to see who it was on the Caller ID and his blood drained. It was Dirk, or who he thought was Dirk. Dirk hadn't talked to them since Dave went missing. He knew that that only meant one thing, Dave had been found.

"Hello, Hello?", John hastefully answered the phone. Dave thought about saying something sarcastic in return, but surprisingly, he couldn't bring himself to. After going on 2 months, he was just glad to hear his best friend's voice. "Hey man, what's going on?", Dave said nonchalantly. "DAVE! OHMYGOD! IS THAT YOU?", John screamed in the phone so loud that Dave had to hold the phone away from his head. "No, it's Princess Leia. Oh course it's me!", there's that sarcastic remark.

"OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!" Dave can hear John scream in the background even when he held the phone about 6 inches away from his face. "John? John what's going on?" Dave can hear what sounds like Jade in the background. "IT'S DAVE! THEY FOUND HIM!" Dave hears what sounds like John running down the stairs from his bedroom. "DAD, DAD THEY FOUND DAVE!" "WHAT?" Dave hears a crashing sound in the background. Mr. Egbert was in the kitchen washing dishes when John flew down the stairs. The crashing noise that Dave heard was him dropping the plate he was washing. "OH MY GOD, ARE YOU SURE?" "I'M TALKING TO HIM!", John excitedly screamed out. He put his phone on speaker so his dad could hear him. "DAVE? OH MY GOD, SON, IS THAT YOU? ARE YOU OKAY?", like John, Mr. Egbert screamed into the phone with sheer excited bliss. "Hey 'Dad', long time no see.", Dave smiled, he had been calling Mr. Egbert 'Dad' since he and John were little, "Yeah, I'm alright. I feel like I got my ass handed to me, but I'm okay.", Dave didn't mention that he was shot, or that there was now a bullet hole in his chest. I mean, it's not like a huge, gaping hole or anything, just a small indentation where the bullet entered into his chest plate. He already gave it a nickname, 'Bullseye'. But no, he didn't feel like his friends needed to know about that, not yet at least.

Dave, John, Rose, Jade, and Mr. Egbert all talked on the phone for over 6 hours. Occasionally, Dave would hand the phone to his brother or to Jane when they asked a question he couldn't answer himself, or when he had to go to the bathroom. Like Dave, John and them were surprised to hear that Jane was part of the FBI. Even more so when they learned that she assembled the team that found him and the others. With Dave's consent, she told them only small details of what all actually happened. Dave didn't want his friends to fully know what happened to him until he was ready to tell them himself. It was still hard for Dave to fully wrap his mind around it himself.

Basically the only reason why they stopped talking was because it was nearing midnight and, as much as it hurt him to do so, Mr. Egbert had to make the kids go to bed at some point. Mr. Egbert promised them that he would let them call before they left for school the next morning.

Sure enough at 6:30 am CST, the kids woke up and demanded that he talk to Dave. Mr. Egbert tried to explain to them that 6:30 am over here in Houston meant 4:30 am over there in Seattle. That Dave was probably still asleep. But they wouldn't have any of it; and being a man of his word, Mr. Egbert reluctantly let them call.

Dave was trying to go back to sleep after a nurse came in and pastured him for the 5th time that night. Dave could've sworn that if whatever you're in here for didn't kill you, that they would by aggravating you to death. Dave rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. Just as he closed his eyes, he heard his brother's phone go off. 'Egbert, I'm gonna kill you.', Dave slung his arm on the nightstand and grabbed the phone before it woke everybody in the room up. Sure enough, when he looked down at the caller ID, it read 'Egbert'.

"Hello?", Dave sleepily said, ready to kill whoever was on the other line. "Good morning, Dave!", Mr. Egbert chirped happily, "How are you feeling?" "Oh Dad!", Dave surprising said, "I'm feeling pretty okay. I still feel pretty sore, though." "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry to call and wake you up so early, but I have three kids here that are dying to talk to you." Dave smirked alittle, "It's okay, you didn't wake me, the nurse did." "Okay, well I'm going to let you go so they can talk to you. You need anything, just let us know, okay?" "Okay, I will. Thank you Dad." "You're welcome Son, and here's John before he beats me to death." "HEY DAVE!", John squeals into the phone. "Hey man!", Dave sleepily, but excitedly said. "Hey Dave!", Dave hears two other voices over the speaker. Dave smiles as he instantly recognizes the voices, Jade and Rose, "Hey Jade! Hey Rose! How's my best girl and my sister from another mister?" "Good! But we're doing a whole lot better now!", the two girls giggled. "How are you feeling this morning Dave?", John asks. "Eh, okay I guess. I'd be doing better once I get out of this bed. Sittin' still ain't my thing yo." The three on the other end laughed. It was so good to hear their old Dave again.

The four talked on the phone until John and the girls had to leave for school. "Okay, Dave. We're fixing to have to leave for school. But I promise, we'll call you as soon as we get home. Okay?", John said. "You might want to wait until after four to call. I'll be meeting with my therapist by the time that y'all get out of school." "Oh okay. Well then I call after four then." "Sounds like a plan." "Okay, I'll talk to you later. BYE!" "Have a good day at school, Egbert." Immediately after Dave hung up, he plopped his head back down on his pillow.

That was their first of many conversations that they would have during the time Dave was in the hospital. After that, they talked to each other at least once a day. Throughout their many conversations, Dave still didn't tell John what all exactly happened to him. Although Dave did tell him that he was shot, and about the permanent 'bullseye' in his chest, he still didn't tell him that he was raped. With the help of the therapy sessions, He had finally come to turns of what happened, and was finally able to admit to himself that he was raped and it was by no means, in anyway shape or form, his fault. Even though he was able to admit it to himself, he just didn't felt like John needed to know. With as sensitive as John was the news would tear him apart; he took to the news of 'bullseye' bad enough, and he felt it was for the better if he didn't know, not now. In time, Dave felt like he would eventually tell John, of his whole ordeal. But only when John was ready to hear it. But not now, and not anytime soon.

Jane had to go back to the office to take care of some official stuff. Leaving Dirk and Dave in the room with Timmy while his parents finished filling out the release forms. Dirk was finishing packing up, when he noticed the hoodie he packed for Dave buried deep in his suitcase. He smiled, picking up the garment; "Look Little Man, look what I brought for ya.", Dirk said holding up the hoodie. "My hoodie!", Dave smiled at his beloved garment, it was the hoodie version of his classic broken record shirt. Dirk smiled and slipped it on his brother, "I figured you would've been cold." "Thanks Bro." "No problem Little Man.", Dirk kissed the top of his forehead and ruffled his hair. "Hey!", Dave laughed. Timmy giggled across the room. Dave saw that Timmy was rubbing his arms, as if he were cold. "Hey Tim, catch!", Dave said taking off his hoodie and tossing to Timmy across the room. Timmy gave Dave a bewildered look as he caught the hoodie. "What's this for?", Timmy asked confused. "It's yours.", Dave smiled at Timmy. "But Dave, I can't your hoodie! It's your favorite!" "Don't worry about it, I can get a new favorite hoodie. And besides, you gave me your handkerchief remember." "Bu..." "Consider it a token of our friendship.", Dave smiled at his friend. Timmy was about to protest again, but Dave gave him that 'put it on, or I'll put it on for ya' look. Without another word, Timmy put the hoodie over his freezing body. "Thank you Dave!" "Don't mention it Timmy."

Jane walked in the room just as Timmy slipped the hoodie on. "Good morning boys!", Jane sung as she entered the room. "Good morning!", Dirk happily replied, "You're in a good mood." "I have ever reason to be! All the kids are safe, and getting to go home today. They busted two more brothels this past week. I'm getting a two week paid vacation!" "You're getting a vacation?", Dirk said excitedly. "Yeah! I walked in this morning. Filled out a ton of paper work. I ran into Baxter, he asked me what I was doing here. I told him I still had to work. He told me not for two weeks I didn't, and told me that as of today that I was on paid vacation." "That's wonderful Janey!", Dirk smiled. "And there something else." "What is it?", Dirk asked. "It's best if this was away from young ears.", Jane smiled at Dirk. Dirk's eyes widened. "Dave I'll be right outside with Jane!"

Jane handed Dirk a piece of paper once they were a considerable distance from outside the room. "I had any and all charges on you dropped for killing Noir. Baxter told the coroner and the police that Noir's death was 'suicide by cop'." That isn't Dirk had expected to hear at all! He thought Jane was going to tell him, something else. "You thought I was going to tell you I was pregnant, didn't you?" Dirk blushed redder than Dave's eyes. Jane laughed, "Typical Strider, always gotta have your mind in the gutter." Dirk felt tears swell in his eyes, "Jane I don't know what to say!" He embraces her in a huge hug. Dirk didn't think, couldn't think, about the consequences of his actions by killing Noir. He was in a blind fit of grief and rage at the time. It was only after the fact, when he realized that his actions could seriously cost him. And if Dave's social worker found out that there were charges against him for murder, it would surely be the end of his custody of Dave. Dirk couldn't bear the thought of loosing Dave again, he felt that he would rather be dead than give up custody of Dave. And now, all those fears were gone. "Thank you!", he cried to Jane. Jane realized this meant much, much more to Dirk than she thought. She quickly returned the hug.

As soon as they let go of each other, Dirk whispered into Jane's ear, "And yes, I thought you were pregnant." Jane laughed as she and Dirk kissed.

Dirk and Jane walked back into the room and saw Mrs. Hartman talking with the doctor in the room. "Ah, there you are Mr. Strider. I just need you to sign one more thing, and you and David will be ready to go home." "Okay.", Dirk said as he signed the last document. "And in two weeks, he'll need a check up at your physician. Just tell the doctor there to fax me the report." "Will do, Doc. Thanks." "My pleasure. Now you and Ms. Crocker take good care of young David." "We will!", both Dirk and Jane said at the same time. The doctor smiled and turned and left the room.

"It was a pleasure meeting you and your wonderful family Mrs. Hartman!", Jane said as she gave Mrs. Hartman a goodbye hug. "Oh the pleasure is all mine, honey! If it weren't for you and little David, I don't know what we would have done!", she graciously returned the hug. "Are you sure that y'all don't want to fly back to San Diego? I can arrange that." "No, no thank you dear. You've done so much already! We could never thank you enough. Besides, my husband went to go get the car, he's probably waiting for us." "Okay, but if you need anything, just give me a call, okay.", Jane said, handing Mrs. Hartman her business card. "Thank you dear! And remember that wedding cake.", Mrs. Hartman said to Jane, handing her HER business card. "Okay.", Jane laughed. Jane kneeled down to Timmy's level and gave him a big hug, "Bye Timmy! It was so nice to get to meet you!", Jane said with tears in her eyes. "Thank you Ms. Jane for helping to find us!", Timmy returned the hug. "The pleasure was all mine sweetheart!", Jane wiped the tears from her eyes. Mrs. Hartman looked down at Dave in his wheelchair, "Thank you, thank you so much! For being there for Timmy, and befriending him! You are forever in our debt!", Mrs. Hartman hugged Dave with tears in her eyes. "Don't mention it Mrs. H!", Dave returned the hug. "Come on you.", Mrs. Hartman looked at Dirk with open arms, "Don't give me a handshake, I wanna hug this time!" How could Dirk say no? He embraces Mrs. Hartman in warm hug, which she immediately returns. "You keep on doing your sword fighting ninja D. thing!" Dirk laughed, "I will. You keep up on baking thing."I will.", Mrs. Hartman laughed. Dirk leaned down and gave Timmy a hug, "Good bye kiddo!" "Good bye Mr. Dirk! Keep being awesome!", Timmy returned the hug. Dirk couldn't help but laugh, "You do the same Timmy!" Timmy looked at Dave with big watery eyes. Dave opened up his arms, "Come on." Timmy immediately embraced Dave in a big warm hug. Dave graciously returned the hug. "THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH DAVE!", Timmy cried. "No tears man, no tears!", Dave said, with tears forming in his own eyes. "Sorry.", Timmy chuckled as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "We'll keep in touch all the time, I promise.", Dave reassured Timmy. "Really?" "Really."

Before the left the room and parted their own ways home, Dave sung Timmy one last song. "On the wind, cross the sea. Hear this song and remember. Soon you'll be, home with me. Once upon a December."

"Thank you Dave!", Timmy said with tears rolling down his face. "See ya around Timmy!", Dave wiped the tear that was forming in his eye. The two hugged other goodbye. And with that, the two families parted ways.

The plane from Seattle to Houston landed at about 3:00 that afternoon. Dirk, Dave, and Jane finally made it back home. Dave had fallen asleep during the plane ride, and was still asleep when the plane landed, so Dirk carried him all the way to his car. "Wake up Little Man, we made it.", Dirk smiled down at his brother, as they approached his car. "We made it?" "Yeah.", Dirk buckled him into his seat. "Dave when was the last time you talked to John and them?", Jane asked from the front seat. "Yesterday.", Dave said rubbing his eyes. "Did you tell them that you were coming home today?" "Nah, I'd thought I'd surprise 'em.", Dave smiled. Jane giggled. "Dirk, when was the last time you spoke to English?" "Right before we left, told him that we were coming home. He said 'Righty-o my good chap', or how ever he said it.", Dirk said in a fake British accent, making both Jane and Dave laugh, "Yeah, but he said that he was sorry he couldn't go see Dave in the hospital. He said he was so busy following up on leads. He'd said he's make time to come see us as soon as he could." "I don't know what we would have done without him.", Jane said. "I owe him one huge domo the next time I see him."

Dirk positioned the rear view mirror where he could see Dave. "Little Man? Any first stops before we go home?" "Yeah,", Dave said looking out the window, "I wanna go see Mama."

Jane waited in the car while Dave and Dirk visited their mother's grave. It wasn't her place to join them in this private matter. The two brother's slowly approached their mother's grave. "Look who I brought Mama.", Dirk said as he approached the tomb stone. It read:

'Cynthia Grace Strider

April 21, 1960

December 4, 1995

For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all of your ways. Psalm 91:11

Beloved mother and beautiful soul.

Loved and missed, always and forever.'

Dave kneeled down and touched the words with his fingers. He felt Dirk kneel down beside him. "She loved us more than anything, Little Man. And her last, dying wish was to save you. I promised her that I would never let anything happen to you. And I failed her.", Dirk said, bursting into tears as he embraced his brother. "No you didn't Bro! Dirk Strider doesn't go back on his promises, and he never broke this one to begin with! You weren't there and therefore couldn't do anything to stop it. So I was kidnapped and raped. Whoopty-freaking-do! I'm not gonna let it define me!", Dave said with fierce passion, looking into his brother's eyes. Words could not express the feeling of pride that was swelling in Dirk Strider's chest. Dirk pulled his brother back into the hug, and with a chest filled with pride said, "That's my boy, spoken like a true Strider!"

While the two brothers embraced in a heart felt hug, the two felt a pair of warm arms wrap themselves around the two. The couldn't see who it was, but they already new. Both boys smiled, "Mama."

"Bro?" "Yeah?" "How 'bout we go give those Egberts one hell of a surprise." "I like the way you think Little Man."

Mr. Egbert had just back from picking up John and Jade from school, and picking Rose up from her house. This had been the ritual everyday for the past week. Pick up the kids, try to get them to do their homework done and let them talk to Dave. Thankfully; even though today was a Monday, it was Thanksgiving week, and Mr. Egbert wouldn't have to negotiate with them to get their homework done before he let them call Dave. Mr. Egbert was about to dial Dirk's number, when he heard a knock on the door. "Who could that be?"

Boy did Mr. Egbert get a surprise when he opened the door. "Hey Dad! Ja miss me?", Dave flat out says the moment Mr. Egbert completely opens the door. Mr. Egbert just stands there with his mouth wide open, "D-Dave?" "Who ever you expecting? The Queen of England?" Yep, it was Dave alright. Mr. Egbert felt a tear roll down his cheek, "Oh my God, Dave! Come here Son!", Mr. Egbert opens his arms wide and embraces Dave. "Dad, who is it?", John asks, coming out from the other room. "Hey Egbert!", Dave said as Mr. Egbert let go of him. "OH MY GOD! DAVE!" Upon hearing John, Rose and Jade come running out from the other room, "DAVE?" The three take off running toward their best friend. Dave braced for impact. In less than .5 seconds, he was on the ground, floored by his three best friends.

"OH MY GOD, DAVE!" "WE MISSED YOU DAVE!" "WE THOUGHT WE WOULD NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN!", the trio cried as the smothered their best friend in hugs. "I missed you all too!", Dave somehow managed to say as the breath was being squeezed out of his lungs. "We're so glad you're back!", John said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Me too bro, me too.", Dave returned a hug to John. John graciously returned the hug. Rose and Jade joined in.

The three adults sat at the table in the dining room, watching the four kids in their group hug in the living room. Mr. Egbert wipes the remaining tears from his eyes, "We've missed him so much, since he's been gone. John cried for a week straight after he was abducted. I felt so guilty. I felt that maybe if I had insisted that he ride with us that day, then maybe..." "Dad listen,", Dirk interrupted him, "This is by no means your fault. You didn't know it would happen, so don't go blaming yourself for something that you had no part in. Noir would have gotten to him either way. It's my fault, if anyone's. If I haven't had gotten mixed up in all that mess all those years ago, none of this would have happened.", Dirk put his head into hands, no matter what he told anybody, he still blamed himself. "Dirk, listen to me. This is by no means anymore your fault than it is mine.", Mr. Egbert spoke, "You didn't know it was going to happen, and neither did I. You know darn well that if you were there, than you would have done everything you possibly could to stop it." "Thanks Dad. For being their for Dave when I wasn't.", Dirk wiped some of the tears out of his eyes. "Don't think anything of it. Whatever you or Dave need, we will always be here." Dirk was about to do something went way against his normal code of conduct, give another grown man a hug. Dirk Strider hugged Mr. Egbert. Mr. Egbert didn't know what to do but simply return the hug. The two broke the hug when they heard another knock on the door. "Now I really am wondering who could that be.", Mr. Egbert laughed.

"Ah Mr. Egbert! Good to see you old chap! You wouldn't happen to know where I can find any Striders do you?" That British accent that stuck out like a sore thumb. "Jake English, what a pleasant surprise to see you! Come in, come in!", Mr. Egbert said. "Jake! My man it's so good to see you!", Dirk walked up to Jake and gave him crushing bear hug. "Strider! I'd thought I might find you here!", Jake choked from the bone crushing hug. Dirk put him down so Jake could catch his breath. "JAKE!", Jane runs up to him and gives him a big hug. "Jane, it's good to see you! Taking care of Dirk I see.", Jake laughed. "Eh, I try. He's a handful.", Jane giggled. "Where's the little man?", Jake asked. "He's in the living room with the kids."

"Hey kids, look who's here.", Mr. Egbert poked his head in the living room. "Jake!", Dave says as Jake English entered the room. "Dave! Come here and give me a hu..." Jake is cut off when Dave immediately runs up to him and gives him a hug. "I'm so glad you're alright.", Jake says, returning the hug. "Thank you!" "The pleasure is all mine!", Jake smiles.

The five adults join the kids in the living room. Dave told them all about what the therapist said, about using your talents to channel out negative emotions and stuff like that. He told them that he had started singing and writing songs. He told them how good it felt to up your emotions into words; when you sing them out, all those negative emotions just disappear. He told them about his friendship with Timmy Hartman. He told them about his ukulele, the Little Chibi Guitar, that Jane got him so he could add music to his songs.

"Bro, where's the keys to the car. I wanna go get the Little Chibi Guitar.", Dave asked his bro. "They're right here, but you ain't walking outside by yourself.", Dirk said holding the keys. "We can go with him.", John said. "Okay, just be careful.", Dirk said handing Dave the keys.

"It's in here somewhere.", Dave said leaning into the trunk, looking for his ukulele. "Ah, here it is.", Dave said pulling out a decent sized brown ukulele, with the letters 'LCG' drawn on it. "What's 'LCG' stand for?", Jade asked. "Little Chibi Guitar. It's what Bro so graciously dubbed it." "Yeah that sounds like him."

The four were about to walk back in the house, when Dave noticed a half turned over card board box in the gutter near the end of the road. "Hey, what's that?", Dave said pointing to the box. "I don't know.", John said. "Let's go check it out.", Dave said, already walking toward the box. "Dave!", the three run to catch up with him. Dave is already at the box by the time they catch up. Dave looks inside and is surprised by what he sees. "It's a puppy!", Dave says with a huge grin on his face. Inside the soaking wet box, was a little golden retriever puppy that couldn't be no more than 4 weeks old. He picks up the puppy and holds it close to his chest. "AAAWWWWEEEE!", John, Jade, and Rose synchronize. The puppy looks up at Dave and licks his chin. "Awe, he likes me." "You should totally see if Bro will let you keep him.", John says. "I highly doubt it." "Aw come on, who knows, he might let you. Tell him it could be an early birthday present." "Well, alright.", the four kids walk back in the house with puppy in hand.

"Absolutely not.", Dirk Strider says as he shows him the puppy. "Aw come on Bro! Please! Just look at him!", Dave begs, holding the puppy up to his bro, "He was all alone in a cardboard box!" Dirk picks up the puppy. It really was a cute little thing, all fluffy and wagging it's tail. But Dirk still wasn't convinced. "Dave...", "Dave, why don't you leave the puppy in here with us and we'll try to talk some since into your brother.", Jane said cutting in. She thought this could be good for Dave. She seen how animals help recuperate children after traumatic events in their lives. A puppy might be just the thing Dave needs. The children go off into the other room while the adults talked.

"I don't know Jane. A mean a puppy is a lot of responsibility, he'll have to feed it, walk it, and where is going to take it out to use the bathroom?" "He could take it out on the roof to use the bathroom. And he could walk it up and down the stairs of the apartment. Besides, a puppy might just be what Dave needs right now. I've seen how animals can help children recuperate, Dirk Strider. 9 times out of 10, the child is happier and physiologically better off when a pet is used in their therapy.", Jane told Dirk. "Jane...", "If I may interject for a moment,", Jake said interrupting Dirk, "My good man, as much as I am not fond of the idea of unnecessary violence, I assure you Dirk Strider that I will, how you Americans say, 'beat you down' if you do not let Dave keep this poor puppy." Dirk couldn't help but laugh. It looks like his mind was made up for him.

"Dave.", Dirk called from the living room. "Yeah?", Dave comes running in the room. "You can keep the puppy.", Dirk gives in. "THANK YOU BRO!", Dave immediately embraces his brother. Dirk hugs him back. Jane hands Dave the puppy as he lets go of Dirk. "So whatcha gonna name him Little Man." "Chance.", Dave says looking down at the little ball of fluff in his arms, "Because me and him are getting a second chance." Dirk was honestly surprised at his brother's choice of a name. He thought he would pick something like 'Deadmau5' or 'Eminem' or something, but no. He was proud of him. "A fine name Little Man.", Dirk smiled at his brother. "Thanks", Dave smiled.

Dave walked back into the other room, and apparently, from all the commotion that was going on in there, Dave told them the good news.

The Striders, Jane, and Jake all stayed at the Egberts until late into the night. It had been a very long, exciting day, and Dirk wanted nothing more than to go home, curl up in his own bed with his little man, his girl and the newest addition to the Strider clan, Chance. Before they left, Mr. Egbert invited them all over for Thanksgiving at their house that Thursday. They all graciously accepted the offer.

"And remember, y'all call us if you need anything okay?", Mr. Egbert told Dave as he got in back of his brother's car, Chance now asleep in his arms. "Yes sir, we will.", Dave yawned. "Okay, you all be good." "Us be good? Naw.", Dave sleepily replied. Mr. Egbert laughed. "Jane keep 'em straight.", Jake called out as he got into his own car. "I got my work cut out for me don't I?", Jane jokingly replied. "By Dave!", John called out. "See ya later man!", Dave called out in return. The Egberts waved good bye as the Striders drove down the street.

Like he done at the airport, Dirk carried Dave into the apartment complex, with Chance still tucked into his arms. Thankfully, most of the tenants were most likely in their apartments, so nobody pestered them on their way up to their apartment. The moment they shut the door, Jane plopped their bags on the futon to deal with in the morning and Dirk made a B-line to the bedroom with Dave. Dirk carried the sleeping Dave to his bedroom, took off his shoes for him and tucked him into his own bed. Dirk laid Chance right beside him. Kissed his brother on his forehead, and petted Chance on the head. He had to admit it, he was glad he let Dave keep the puppy. He secretly had a soft spot for them. He tiptoed his way out of Dave's room and quietly made his way into own room where Jane was waiting for him. "Ah man. What a day!", Dirk said plopping on the bed. "It was a good day though.", Jane said staring up at the ceiling, "I'm glad you let Dave keep the puppy." "Yeah, me too.", Dirk said smiling. Jane rolled over and smiled at Dirk. That quickly turned into a kiss. Dirk and Jane were interrupted when they heard a small knock on the door. "Bro? Jane? Can I sleep in here with you guys tonight?", Dave stood at the doorway, still holding his puppy. They both smiled, "Oh course you can!", they both said at the same time. Normally Dirk would be on the verge of killing someone if they interrupted him when he was with a girl. But in this case, he made an exception. Dave smiled and quickly crawled in the bed. The three turned out the lights and went to bed. Dirk was toward the wall, Dave was in the middle, and Jane was toward the front, and Chance was sleeping peacefully on Dave's chest.

"Night boys.", Jane said. "Night.", both boys said in return.

"Night Bro, love you."

"Night Little Man, love you too."

"Bro?"

"Yeah?"

"I just cockblocked you didn't I?"

"Pretty much."

Dave and Dirk smiled and drifted off to sleep. It was so good to finally be back at home.


	28. Thanksgiving & New Trouble Arises

Seriously you guys, THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR REVIEWS, FAVORITES, AND SUSCRIPTIONS!

I LOVE YOU ALL SOOO MUCH!

PLEASE, KEEP THE REVIEWS COMING!

I NEED 'EM!

Chapter 28: Thanksgiving & New Trouble Arises

Dave woke up the next morning feeling a wet sensation, on his nose. He peeked his eyes open and saw Chance licking his nose, trying to wake him up. He giggled and sat up. "Chance! What are you doing?", he giggled. He picked the happy-go-lucky puppy up, only to be assaulted by more licks to the face. He petted the puppy's head and noticed something that was not there the night before. A red collar. 'Where did this come from?' He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and noticed something else that wasn't there the night before. His brother's room was clean. Dave had to do a double take to make sure that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. His brother's room, who normally had clothes and smuppets strung everywhere, with little to no floor space, was clean. Dave had lived in the apartment his whole life and he could honestly say that this was the first time that he had ever seen the floor in his brother's room. While Dave was still wide-eyed and staring at the floor, something else from in the apartment oozed into the room that was making his stomach growl. Dave picked up Chance and slowly tiptoed his way down the hall.

"Good morning sweetheart!", Jane greeted him as he poked his head into the kitchen. Jane was pulling another dish out the oven from heating up. Dave could easily see where the delightful aroma was coming from. All along the counters and table were dishes upon dishes of delicious looking home-cooked meals. "How did you sleep Little Man?", Dirk said sitting at the kitchen table, stuffing his face from one of dishes at the table. "Bro? Jane? Where did all this come from?", Dave looked utterly confused. Jane smiled, "You know you two have the nicest neighbors? While I was out this morning getting some supplies, I ran into some of your neighbors down the hall. They asked me who I was, I told them I was Dirk's girlfriend. They looked at me all surprised. They asked me how him and I were doing, and if we had found you yet. I told them that we were doing great, that we had finally found you, and that you were okay. They were alighted, they said that they have been so worried. When I finished talking with them. I got back from the store, done some cleaning up." "Yeah, I can tell.", Dave said looking around the now spotless kitchen. "When I got done cleaning, I went to take Chance for a walk to the on the roof. And when I got back, those same neighbors were at our door with dishes of food. They said that they called all their neighbors and told them the good news. And all morning, we've been getting people coming with more dishes than we know what to do with.", Jane continued. Dave looked down at Chance, "Well that explains a few things." Jane laughed.

"Dave are you hungry?", Dirk asked, "Come on and sit down, there's PLENTY to eat." Dave's stomach instantly agreed with his brother. "Come on sweety, you sit down. Let me fix you a plate.", Jane sat Dave down at the table. Dave sat next to his brother, who was shamelessly digging in straight from a dish on the table. "What?", Dirk asked Dave, with his mouth full and food all over his face. Dave and Jane both laughed. Dave saw Chance dig into his kibble as his own plate was set before him. "Thank you Jane! It looks good." "It is good!", Dirk chimed in, with his mouth full. Dave and Jane laughed again. Jane kissed both Dave and Dirk on the forehead. Dave dug in, he hadn't eaten that good since he was staying at the Egberts before he got abducted. "If there's anything left, we'll take some over to the Egberts for Thanksgiving.", Jane said. "IF there's anything left.", Dirk corrected as he picked his teeth. At the rate they boys were going, Jane highly doubted they would be anything left by then.

When Dave and Dirk were finally done eating, they were both stuffed. They both leaned back in their chairs, with an arm over their now extended bellies. A scene which Jane managed to capture on Dave's camera. Dave looked over the to find Chance, only to see him humping a smuppet that he managed to find underneath the futon. Dave was laughing so hard it hurt his sides. "Well what'll you know Little Man, he really is a Strider after all.", Dirk laughed. Jane just stood in the corner, laughing while shaking her head. Her boys, she wouldn't have them any other way.

*Ding Dong*

"John, can you get that?", Mr. Egbert called from the kitchen as he pulled out the turkey from the oven. "Sure thing Dad." "It's probably the Striders."

"Dave are you sure Mr. Egbert said it was okay to bring Chance?" "Yes Ma'am, he said it was fine.", Dave answered Jane as he, her and Dirk stood at the door of the Egbert's place with arm fulls of dishes. Mr. Egbert told Dave that it was alright that he bring their newest addition over for Thanksgiving. Dave was holding Chance in his arms, even though he had on a leash. He was spared from having to tote anything heavier than 5 pounds as he still had about 20 something stitches in this chest. Man, he would be glad when his stitches come out. Those things itch!

"Dave!", John cried as he opened the door. "Hey Egbert! Where do we put these?", Dave pointed behind him at the dishes Dirk and Jane were holding. "On the table.", John replied. John lead the way to the dining room. "My my, look all the food! Jane you must have been cooking for two day straight to make all this!", Mr. Egbert said as he walked into the dining room. "Well, our neighbors helped. The past two days they've been bringing us food.", Jane replied. "David how are you?", Mr. Egbert pulled Dave into a hug. "I'm doing good Dad. Thank ya. How are you?", Dave returned the hug. "I'm doing good." "And how's Chance getting along?", Mr. Egbert said petting Chance on the head. "He's doing good! He fits right in!", Dave laughed. "I'm sure he does."

"Come on Dave, let's go to my room.", John said. "Okay."

The three adults in the dining room watched as the kids made their way up to John's room up the stairs. Knowing they made it when they heard John's bedroom door shut.

"So how have you two been getting along?", Mr. Egbert asked. "We've been wonderful. Everything's been going to so good.", Jane blissfully said. "That's good, that's really good.", Mr. Egbert said, relieved, "And how has David been? Has he been okay." "He's been really good. He's been scratching at his stitches alot, but other than that, physically he's okay.", Jane said. "And emotionally?" "Only time will tell in this situation. He seems to be doing pretty good now, but who knows what'll lie up the road 3-6 months up the road from now." "Y'all need to make sure that you both are paying attention to him. Give him all of your attention. And if he wants to talk about anything, y'all need to listen." "Oh trust me, we are.", Dirk chimed in, "I don't let him out of my sight before I know where he's going." "That's good." "Are you doing okay?", Mr. Egbert asked Dirk. "I don't know Dad. Hell, I think he's doing better than me! Everytime I look around the corner and he's not there my heart skips a couple of beats. The first night we came home he slept with us. The past couple of nights, he's still been sleeping with us, but that's just mainly for me to know that he is still right there." Mr. Egbert looked at Dirk somberly, he was having hard time with all this. With Dave's consent, Jane and Dirk did end up telling Mr. Egbert that Dave was raped, he heart broken at the news. They told him that Dave didn't want to tell John because of what it would do to him. Mr. Egbert, wanting to respect Dave's wishes, PROMISED them that he wouldn't tell John until Dave felt John was ready to hear it.

Hearing of your little brother's abduction in broad day light, watching him being raped on camera, and then having him shot and then dying and brought back to life in your arms, is much more than any man should EVER have to go through. How, Mr. Egbert thought, could any man go through all that in such a short period of time and still be sane, was completely beyond him. If someone had done half to John as they done to Dave, Mr. Egbert was sure that he would be in the looney bin. Truly Dirk Strider was a stronger man than him, Mr. Egbert thought. "Dirk, you have to remember, Dave is not going anywhere. He right there with you and Jane. And nothing can hurt him or get to him ever again." "I know, it's still hard sometimes." "I know son, I know."

"So Dave? What've you been up to man?", John asked Dave. "Oh nothing much. Just chillin' out all day, while you're at school. Spending some good quality time with Bro and Jane. Man I don't see why those two just don't go ahead and tie the knot. I mean hell, people already think I'm their kid. And they've been friends for like ever, and they get along so great! Everything is just like mellow, you know? Jane's like the mama I never had.", Dave honestly said, "And, I've been workin' on some killing lyrics man. You should hear 'em. Heh, Chance has been helping me with my singing n stuff too." Dave laughed as he ruffled Chance's fuzzy head. "Oh really?", John laughed, "How has he been doing that?" "Whenever I sing off key, to like a song or whatever, he howls. And when I get back on key, he puts his paw on my knee." "That is awesome.", John laughed. "You wanna see?" "Sure!" Dave started singing some Godawful country song he heard on the radio that morning. Ass soon as he sung off key, Chance started howling, but when he sung back on key, he stopped and put his paw on Dave's knee. "That is so cool! Did you train him to do that?", John said excitedly. "Naw, he just started doing it on his own." "Is singing still helping you?" "Yeah it is. This might sound weird but, I'm getting where I can't remember most of it. I mean remember Timmy and Tonya. But actual stuff about it, it's getting pretty blurry. I don't know if it's from the therapy sessions helping me forget or is my brain trying to suppress it or what." "Well, in a way. That can be a good thing." "Yeah, I hope so." "Well, maybe you will forget it all someday." "No I won't forget it all, and honestly I don't want to forget it all. I want to remember what I have beaten, I want to remember what I have overcome."

Dave and John heard the front door opening down stairs and more talking going on. "That must be the others. Dad said we would eat when everybody gets here.", John said. "Good, I'm starvin'."

"Lalondes! Jake! Jade! Come in, come in!", Mr. Egbert greeted as he opened the door. "Mr. Egbert! Good to see you!", Jake English greeted, "I hope you don't mind but I could only bring microwave oven rolls. Living in a hotel room has it's limitations." "That's perfectly alright! Thank you so much!" "Mery Xmas erybody!", Roxy Lalonde slurred, lifting a half empty bottle of Vodka above her head. "It's Thanksgiving Mom...", Rose shook her head. "Oh ell, you go on and play Rosie, Mommy's got some cachin up to do." "Whatever,", Rose rolled her eyes, "Come on Jade, let's find those dorks of ours.", Rose grabbed Jade's hand as she went to go find John and Dave. "Look no further ladies, Strider is in the house.", Dave said as he and John made to the bottom of the stairs. "Dave!", both girls rushed over and gave him a big hug. "How's my favorite girls?", Dave said returning the hug. "Good." "Hey Chance!", the girls reach for the puppy in John's arms, ignoring John. "Hey!", John said. "Oh hey John.", the said as they walked off with Chance. John held his arms up in defeat. Poor John.

The four kids join the adults in the living room. Dirk was talking with Jake, while Roxy was talking with Jane. "So Janey, how are you and the Strider gettin along?", Roxy asked. "Oh we're getting along just fine Rox, thank ya for asking." "Keepin' em on the straht and narow I see?" "Well I try.", Jane giggled.

"So, Strider, how is everything going with you and Ms. Crocker.", Jake playfully elbowed him in the side, "Everything going swimmingly, I see." Dirk laughed, "Yeah, you could say that.", Dirk smiled. "And how is Dave? Is he doing okay?" "He's doing fine, a whole lot better than we had expected. I think Jane was right about having a pet as a way of therapy. Dave seems to be happier and more open now that he has Chance." "That's wonderful my good man!"

"Alright everyone. Dinner is ready, so if you all would join at the table, we could all eat.", Mr. Egbert walked into the living room. "Finally.", Dave said.

All nine 9 people sat around the dinner table. At the head of the table was Mr. Egbert, the other four adults sat at the front of the table, the kids sat at the end. "Alright everbody, dig in.", Mr. Egbert said. No body needed to be told twice.

Everybody around the table talked and ate together, and occasionally slipped Chance a slice of turkey under the table.

"So when are you going back to school Dave?", Jade asked. "I don't know. Probably after Christmas break." "You should have seen John that day after you first called. Oh my God, he ran in the school, wailing his arms in the air screaming 'DAVE'S BACK! THEY FOUND DAVE!'. And then when he wasn't paying attention, he ran into a door.", Jade said giggling alittle. Dave laughed too, "Way to go Egbert." "Everyone was real excited though.", John said, "Especially the teachers." "Let's just say you're in for in it when you get back.", Jade added. "Oh joy.", Dave replied.

On the adult end of the table, the adults carried on light conversations. "So Jane, how's everything going at the office?", Jake asked. "Oh good. We busted two more 'joints' last week.", Jane said. She made sure she kept it as discreet as possible, "And I've been on paid vacation all week." "That's great!" "Yeah, I put in my application to be transferred down here. So we'll see how that goes." "Ahhhhh, Janey wantin to get closer to her man I see!", Roxy blurted out, making both Jane and Dirk blush. Jake, Roxy, and Mr. Egbert busted out laughing. "Do we need to start planning a wedding?", Jake added. Dirk throw his arm around Jane and said, "Well maybe y'all do." Jane then pulled Dirk into a kiss. "Get her Bro!", Dave called out. The whole table just erupted in laughter.

After everyone calmed down from laughing, they continued on with their feast without too much interruption. After a while, the food coma started taking place. Dave and the others piled up on the couch with Chance while the adults cleaned up in the kitchen. "Everything was good Dad. Thank ya.", Dirk said, picking his teeth. "Don't thank me, thank you're neighbors. From what Jane told me, they cooked most of it.", Mr. Egbert laughed as he loaded an empty dish into the dishwasher. "Yeah, I suppose I need to right them thank you cards or something." "Way ahead of ya honey.", Jane said, "Done wrote them all out, and I'll give them to them when I return the dishes." "Always one step ahead of the game aren't ya?", Dirk kissed Jane. "Eh, I try to be." "Janey and Dirky, sitin in a cree.", Roxy sung at the table with a martini glass of Vodka in her hand, "K-I-S...uh, G-Y-N-G", she sung off course. "Oh Roxy, what are we gone do with you?", Jane laughed.

After they were done cleaning, the five adults joined the kids in the living room. They all talked and watched T.V., and played with Chance for hours. It was getting late and the kids had all fallen asleep. John, Jade, and Rose were all huddled together on the other end of the couch. Dave had curled up in his brother's lap and pasted out with Chance tucked in his arms. Dirk had his arms around him, trying not to fall asleep himself. In the one moment that Dirk did manage to doze off; Jane just couldn't help herself, she quickly snapped a photo of three curled up like that. "All my boys!", she cooed over the photo. "Huh? What?", Dirk snapped his head up. Jane giggled. "Honey, don't you think that we should be going. It's getting late and you and Dave are exhausted." "Yeah,", Dirk yawned, "I guess you're right."

"Bye! Thank you Mr. Egbert for having us!", Jane gave Mr. Egbert a hug as they walked out the door. "The pleasure is all mine!", Mr. Egbert returned the hug, "Are you sure that's enough leftovers. We still have plenty." "Naw, we're good.", Jane said holding arm fulls of plates and dishes. "Okay, well if y'all need anything just call okay?" "We will." "Okay, thank y'all for coming." "Bye Dad, thank ya for everything.", Dirk said, still holding a sleeping Dave and Chance in his arms. "The pleasure is all mine, son. Y'all need anything please let us know." "Thank you." "Bye David, sweet dreams.", Mr. Egbert petted Dave's sleeping head. Dirk smiled. While they were walking to their car, Jake was loading the Lalondes and Jade into his, as Roxy was in no place or condition to drive. "Bye Jake, see ya later!", Jane yelled quietly, trying not wake up Dave. "Good bye Jane, see you all later!" Dirk buckled Dave into his seat and drove off. Jane looked at Dave in the backseat, who still had Chance tucked in his arms. "Sleeping like a little angel.", she smiled. "Our little boy.", Dirk added.

They arrived at the apartment without incident. Dirk opened the apartment door and immediately went to go lay Dave down, in his own bed this time. Dirk felt that HE was ready. He tucked Dave tightly in his bed and laid Chance beside him. Like their first night home, he kissed his brother on the forehead and petted Chance on the head, and quietly tiptoed out of the room.

Jane had slipped all their leftovers into the fridge and settled down on the futon. Dirk soon joined her. "Is he asleep?", Jane asked "Out like a light.", Dirk smirked. "Good.", Jane said as she snuggled up to Dirk's chest. The two laid on the pulled out futon and watched the rest of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Before they dozed off to sleep, they both whispered in the other's ear, "I love you." They both fell asleep, smiling and holding each other in their arms.

Dirk awoke the morning bright and early to a series of knocking at the door. 'Who the hell could that be?', Dirk wondered as he sat up trying to gently pry Jane's arms from around him. He slowly got up off the futon as the knocks continued pounding away at his door. He looked through the peep hole. "Oh damn...", it was Dave's social worker. He took his dear sweet time unlocking the door.

"Why if it isn't Ms. Bitchy, I mean Ms. Vicky. What an unpleasant surprise to see you.", Dirk said as he finally opened the door. "Cut the crap Strider, I told you I'd be back.", Ms. Vicky bitterly barked, as she made her own way into the apartment. "Well my, my. It definitely looks different since the last time I was here.", she said, looking around the now tidy apartment. "Dirk? Honey, who is it?", Jane asked sitting up and putting on her glasses. "Jane, this is Ms. Vicky, Dave's social worker.", Dirk introduced Jane to the Wicked Witch of the West. "Hi, my name is Jane Crocker. I'm Dirk's girlfriend.", Jane got up from the futon, brushed herself off, and formally introduced herself, "It's a pleasure to meet you." Jane extended her hand to shake the social worker's but she sneered and turned away. "That's nice dear, but I'm not here for small talk. I'm here to collect David.", she said in smug, almost mockingly tone. "WHAT?", Dirk yelled. "A little birdie told me that you had a little incident in Seattle, Washington concerning a man named Jack Noir. From what I hear, the confrontation did not end well. You shot and killed a man, Mr. Strider. Do you honestly think that I'm going to let a minor stay under the guardianship of a cold blooded murderer?"

Angry did not even begin to describe Dirk Strider right now. He just got his baby brother back, and this bitch thinks that she can just stroll up in here and take him away. Nuh uh, no way! Dirk may have killed Noir, but murder was on his mind right now.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA ON WHAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH! DO YOU? THAT BASTARD KIDNAPPED AND RAPED MY BABY, AND YOU'RE GONNA TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME? IF YOU THINK THAT I'M GONNA LET YOU TAKE HIM, THAN YOU GOT ANOTHER THING COMING!", Dirk raised his back to punch the social worker in the face as hard as he could.

"DIRK STOP!", Jane ran in between him and the social worker just in time. Jane had run off to get the paper that she handed Dirk at the hospital, the one stating that Noir's death had been ruled 'Suicide by Cop'.

"Mrs. Vicky, how dare you come into our home and try to revoke Dirk Strider's parental guardianship without a proper court order, or even knowing the facts for that matter!", Jane demanded as she shoved the paper in the social worker's face. The paper that Jane handed her was a copy of Jack Noir's death certificate. Right under cause of death, it labeled 'Suicide by Cop'. The social worker scanned the paper for any signs of forgery. She looked until she was blue in the face, she couldn't find a one.

She looked up from the paper, with pure hate beaming in her eyes. She glared at the two standing before her. "Very well,", she spoke bitterly, "Looks like this will have to be seen by a judge. See you in court Mr. Strider." with that, she turned around and left the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

For a moment, the two stood in victory. But for how long would that victory last?

Woot woot, Jane to the rescue!


	29. Fresh Start & A New Beginning

Again, thank you all so, sooo much for all your wonderful reviews!

Thank you to everyone who favorited and subscribed to this story!

Seriously, I love you guys so much, and thank you for sticking with me throughout the story. YOU GUYS kept this story going!

* * *

Chapter 29: Fresh Start & A New Beginning

"No way, Jane, no way. No freaking way that this can be happening.", Dirk said with his hands buried in his hands, "I just got him back, and if that bitch thinks she can just walk up in here and take him away. Then she's got another thing coming!" "I just don't understand how she can up demand that we give Dave up without a proper court order.", Jane said pouring her a Dirk another cup of coffee, "And how on earth did she even find out what happened in Seattle?" "I don't know Janey.", Dirk said chugging back the whole cup, "She's been on my, our case, since Dave was born. When I was 17. Ever since, she's been combing through, looking for any reason at all to get my custody of Dave revoked." "Now what exactly do you mean by 'combing through'?", Jane asked. "You know, dropping by unannounced without so much as a warning. Sometimes up to 5 times a month. Before the apartment had that garbage shoot installed, we'd have to take our trash out to the dumpster ourselves. Somedays she'd be waiting by the dumpster for me to drop off something off, and sometimes she'd snatch it out of my hands as I walked out of the building, like I was trying to get rid of evidence of something. One day, Dave had a bad nosebleed and soaked a whole rag. I told him just to throw it away. When she found it in the trash, you'd think I was trying to hide a body. She called the cops and everything. Oh and God forbid I would send Dave to the store to get something. Don't even get me started on that." "Are you serious?", Jane raised an eyebrow, "She can't do that. She has to have and give a definitive reason before she can make any unannounced visits. That is the very definition of harassment what she has been doing. Have you filed complaints against her?" "Four times! But everytime I bring it up to the judge, she feeds them another bullshit story of hers. And the judge throws it out, saying that she's just doing her job, or some bullshit like that.", Dirk said holding his hands up. "I just don't know what to do Jane! I mean what if she actually..." "HEY, don't you talk like that Dirk Strider!", Jane slammed her cup down on the table, "She has no right to take him! She has absolutely no proof what so ever that you killed Noir and she knows it! And it'll take a whole hell of alot to convince a judge that you did."

While Jane ranted, Dirk was deep in thought. "Maybe, she didn't know that I killed Noir. Maybe that was all just a bluff to get me to confess.", Dirk said. Jane looked at Dirk. "How else could she had known, if she didn't know at all. She could have just made the whole thing up. She knew I had dealings with Noir in the past. Which was only of the many reasons why she felt that I should have had my guardianship revoked in the first place for 'having connections to international criminals' as she put it. She knew Dave was missing, and for the past 2-3 weeks I've been gone. When she found out that Dave was found in Seattle and heard that Noir had been killed. She must have automatically assumed that I was the one who killed Noir."

"Oh my God.", Jane realized, "That is exactly what she done! She didn't know you killed Noir at all. She just used that as bluff to get you to confess. She knew that if she could get you to confess to killing Noir, than that would be all the proof she needed. She doesn't care about what's in Dave's best interest. All she is concerned about is getting you for whatever reason."

"THAT BITCH!", Dirk hollered. "SHE'S DONE IT THIS TIME! SHE HAS NO IDEA WHAT SHE'S IN FOR IF SHE THINKS SHE THAT SHE CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS! I SWEAR IF SHE COMES ANYWHERE NEAR MY LITTLE MAN, I'M GONNA..."

"Bro, Jane? What's all the yelling about?", Dave said standing in the doorway, half asleep and rubbing his eyes. Dirk turned around and saw his sweet innocent little brother, standing in the doorway with absolutely no clue as to what just went on. "Did y'all two have a fight?" Dirk felt his heart break all over again. Dirk immediately rushes over towards his brother and picks him up in a warm hug. "No, no Little Man. We didn't have a fight. We were just talking.", Dirk buried his head in his brother's hair. "About what?", Dave couldn't help but ask. Dirk sat down with his brother in his arms, and he and Jane told him everything that had occurred already that morning.

Dave didn't know what he was more of, terrified or angry. Angry at the social worker for trying to tear their family apart after he and brother had finally been reunited. Or terrified at the fact that she could convince a judge to revoke his brother's guardianship and take him away. Or worse, have his brother thrown in jail for murder if she ever truly did find out. He just got his bro back and they're trying to take him away from him, it wasn't fair dammit! It just wasn't fair!

"What are we gonna do Bro?", Dave sobbed into Dirk's chest. "Don't worry Little Man, she can't take you away. Big Bro won't let her.", Dirk said softly, still holding onto his brother at the kitchen table. "But what if she..." "Dave, honey listen.", Jane said in soft motherly tone, looking Dave in the eye, "She has no legal grounds to take you away from us. And it would take a whole lot more than just the word of a narcissistic sociopath to ever convince a judge to revoke your brother's custody of you. She has absolutely no proof that your brother done anything wrong. Who do you think that the judge will believe? A crazy social worker or a special agent for the FBI?", Jane looked at Dave smiling. "You." "That's right sweetie.", Jane said giving Dave a reassuring hug, "Janey's not gone let them take you away." "WE BOTH won't.", Dirk assured, joining the hug.

"WHAT! THAT'S INSANE!", Jake English cried, "She cannot do that!" Jake had rushed over to the Striders as soon as Jane called him. She would need all the help she could get if she wanted to win the case and get this social worker off Dirk's back for good. "I know.", Jane said, running a hand through her hair, "You should have seen her when I shown her Noir's death certificate. She knew she had been caught in a lie." "And she is still taking Dirk to court?" "On the 3rd. Dirk and Dave's birthday." "I promise you Jane, both Dirk and the little man. I will do everything I can to help." "Thank you Jake. We're going to need it."

Dave was in his room sitting by his bed on the floor, 'playing' fetch with Chance with one of Dirk's smuppets. Chance may have been playing, but Dave was too lost in thought. 'What if she actually does it this time?', Dave's thoughts ran, 'She been saying this crap for years, but could she actually...NO, she can't! She won't! Bro won't let her! But...still...',

*Bark bark*

Chance barked at Dave, trying to get his attention and his mind away from those negative thoughts. Dave uncovered his eyes and saw Chance sitting next to him with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, with a dirty smuppet next to him. Dave smiled as he picked up his puppy. "You know what's going on, don't ya buddy?" Chance's response to his question was licking Dave all over his face. Dave laughed, "I'm gonna take that as a yes." Dave picked up the smuppet and through it across the room. Dave laughed as the little ball of fur hopped off after it.

"Little Man?", Dirk knocked on Dave's bedroom door, "Can I come in?" "Sure." Dirk walked in to see Chance furiously attacking the smuppet. "I see Chance likes the merchandise.", Dirk said as he sat down on Dave's bed. Dave laughed and joined him on the bed. "Is everything ok?", Dave asked, "I mean Jane's gonna handle it right? She's good at stuff like that." "Yeah, her and English are on it right now." "Heh, that crazy bitch will think twice before she messes with us again!", Dave said, putting his hands behind his head. Dirk laughed, but soon the laughter faded. He too had had troubling thoughts about all this. He would be lying if he said that everything was okay. I mean here Dirk was, on top of the world with his little man and girlfriend, trying to rebuild their lives; when SHE just comes up outta nowhere and throws this curve ball at 'em. Dirk didn't know how much more of this he could take. His little brother was his life, his whole world; the only thing he had left. He had been taken from him before and the only thing that kept a bullet out of Dirk Strider's skull was the hope that his little brother would be found alive. He JUST got him back, and now this. Dirk didn't know if he would be able to go through losing his little brother again. If he did, he just might..."Bro, are you okay?", Dave asked. Dirk Strider was hunched over, Dave could see a tear roll down his cheek. "Bro?", Dave put a hand on his brother's shoulder. Dirk immediately turned and engulfed his brother in a bone crushing hug. Dirk cried into Dave's hair. Dave didn't know what the heck was going on. The only thing he knew what to do was return the hug.

"No, no I'm not okay Little Man.", Dirk sobbed as he calmed down a bit. "I'm so afraid, that this is really gonna be it. I lost you one time, I CAN'T go through losing you again. You're all I got left Little Man." "Bro...", Dave wrapped his arms tightly around his brother. Seeing his brother like this really freaked him out. This wasn't like him at all. 2 months ago, Dave had never seen his brother shed one tear in his 13 years of life. And now, here he was pouring his heart out and emptying his tear ducts into his hair. He just didn't know how to react in situations like this.

"Bro, listen.", Dave said lifting his head up from his brother's shoulder, "Did you ever once give up looking for me when I was gone?" Dirk looked down at him curiously, "What? No! You know I never gave up looking for you!" "Did Jane ever give up working on our case, trying to find us?" "No, she never stopped, never rested until she found y'all." "So don't give up hope now. You never stopped before, and neither did Jane. And look where we are now. We're all together because you two never stopped and gave up hope. You never gave up then, so don't give up now."

Again, Dirk Strider was amazed at the strength that manifested in his little bro. Even when he was down in the dumps and in his darkest hour; after everything he's been through, his Little Man still had the strength to lift both of them up.

Dirk smiled as he looked down at his brother and planted a kiss right in the middle of Dave's forehead. "That's my boy." Dave in turn wrapped his arms around his older brother's neck, "Love you Bro." "Love you too Little Man."

No matter what happens, they would always be together in each other's heart.

* * *

"How do I look Jane? Dressed to impress?", Dirk said standing infront of the mirror in the bedroom. Jane was sitting on the bed finishing buckling her shoes. "You look very nice honey.", Jane said looking up at Dirk. He was wearing a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, black straight pants and nice leather shoes. He thought it all looked a bit much, but today he couldn't afford to look anything less than civilized. "I need to go check on Dave, make sure he's already.", Jane said getting up from the bed.

"Does this look okay Jane?", Dave said meeting Jane in the hallway. Dave's outfit was almost identical to his brother's, aside from the shirt and shoes. Instead of white, Dave wore a red button up shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Almost the exact same straight black pants. But instead of leather shoes, Dave just stuck with his usual converses. "You look fine dear. And tell your brother that'll be ready in just a minute." "Okay."

Hair, check. Make up, check. Clothes, check. She made herself look as professional as she could. She wore a grey pin stripe straight skirt with patching blazer and a turquoise blue blouse. And a pair of black, not-so-high heals. Jane gave herself one last look over in the bathroom before they headed to the court house.

Today was the day that they all have been anticipating and dreading. The day where the fate of the Strider brothers would be decided. December 3, oh the irony that fate would place this day on the Strider brothers birthday. She and Jake had worked tirelessly making their case. They gathered the police reports that Baxter issued to the police, Noir's death certificate and if necessary, the evidence of Noir's secret underground brothel business. Jane like'd to see what the social worker had to dish out. But she knew all to well that in the justice system, over confidence and cockiness were one's greatest weakness. There was still that chance that the social worker, did indeed somehow, find out that Dirk really did kill Noir. If that were the case, then Dirk's custody over Dave, and her FBI credibility, were as good as gone. She could only pray that the judge would bring justice in this case.

"What are you bringing up in my court THIS time Ms. Daniels?", the judge looked rather annoyed at the woman, social worker Victoria Daniels, before her. This is the third time this year she has brought Dirk Strider to court to have his guardianship revoked. All charges before were dismissed. 'Doesn't this woman have anything else better to do than to waste my and this man's time?', the judge thought as she was handed the case file. "Child Protective Services of the state of Texas vs. Dirk Strider, on the suspicion of the murder of Jack Noir in Seattle, Washington. Well, I must admit Ms. Daniels, this is a new one. But if I may say something Ms. Daniels, if you are so sure that Mr. Strider did indeed kill Mr. Noir, than why hasn't murder charges been served and why is he being brought up in family court and not criminal court?" "Because, your honor. We don't have enough evidence to place him definitively at the house where Noir was killed. But we do know that Mr. Strider was in Seattle at the time and with Mr. Strider's emotional instability, he easily had motive to kill." "That may be true Ms. Daniels. But, just because a penguin is a bird doesn't mean it can fly; the same can be said for Mr. Strider. Just because he was in Seattle and had motive, does not mean that he committed a crime."

"Ms. Crocker is it. Is it true that you were working on the case of David Strider when you discovered Noir's internationally kiddy sex ring?", the judge referred to Jane. "Yes your honor, I am special agent Jane Crocker. I work with child sex abuse cases under the FBI, when I made the connection between's Dave's abductions along with 6 other child abduction cases that were connected to Noir." "When exactly did you connect Noir to these child abduction cases?", the judge asked. "About 3 weeks ago, your honor, when we first busted the Weeping Willow bar in Sacramento, California. The bar's owner, Jason Call, confessed to us that Noir had him run a brothel underneath his bar. And he had them moved when he was ready to have the children shipped out to Shanghai." "Now I understand that you have the police report for from the incident. May I see them?" Jane handed the bailiff the report, as well as the other findings, to give to the judge.

"Well this seems to be a very extensive record.", the judge said going over the file Jane gave her. "We have the police report, stating that after Noir shot young David, that he then turned and aimed at an armed officer who in turn shot Noir six times in the chest. We have the death certificate that confirms this, and we have concrete evidence against Noir that he was indeed running an international child sex ring and that he was fixing to make his next 'shipment' to Shanghai. As far as I'm concerned, the world is now a better place with out this scum on the streets. Ms. Daniels, I can drive a bus through the holes in your case. Mr. Strider had no part in his man's death and therefore has absolutely no reason for me to believe that he is a threat to young David in anyway. I'm throwing out this case. Ms. Daniels, this court is adjured." With that, the judge banged the goblet, making the decision final.

Jane turned around and saw the Strider brothers embrace in a huge warm hug. Their nightmare was finally over, but she still had one more bone to pick. No one messed with her boys and got away with it.

"Your honor. We would like to file charges on Ms. Daniels and have her sued for harassment.", Jane spoke before the judge left her seat. 'It's about time.', the judge smiled as she turned back to the podium. "What is your argument?", the judge asked. "For years, Ms. Daniels has been harassing Dirk Strider. Making completely unauthorized visits and even going through the Strider's garbage." "HEY, that is not a crime!", Ms. Vicky yelled. "It is when the garbage is snatched out of a person's hand. It is called 'Invasion of Private Property'." "I'll allow it.", the judge says, "But it'll have to be on scheduled on a different date. And both sides will have to obtain lawyers." "Very well.", Jane said.

Ms. Vicky gave Jane and Dirk, a disgusting look when she exited the court room. It only made Jane's smile grow wider. The three exited the court room in victory.

* * *

"That was so awesome Jane!", Dave excitedly said, walking out of the court house, "Did you see that look on her face?" "Yeah, she knew she was screwed.", Dirk said, ruffling his brother's hair, "That'll teach her to mess with the Striders." Jane could only smile in triumph. Her boys were a family again, and would always remain so. She has come to love them both so much. Dirk like a husband, and Dave like a son.

"You okay Jane?", Dave stopped and asked. "Yeah, sweetie I'm fine!", Jane said, wiping a tear from her eye. Jane embraced both Dirk and Dave in a hug, that they both graciously returned. A feeling a completion engulfed the three, until Jane's phone rung and spoiled the moment.

"Crocker.", Jane answered formally as she the caller ID read 'Baxter'.

"Agent Crocker, I have good news. You request to being transferred to Houston was approved. Congratulations.", Detective Baxter said.

"Oh my gosh! That's wonderful news! Thank you Detective Baxter!", Jane squealed, causing both boys to look at her curiously.

"The pleasure is all mine Agent Crocker. You start January 2nd. Enjoy your vacation Agent Crocker."

"I will! And again, thank you!"

"My transfer was approved!", Jane excitedly said as she hung up the phone. "That's great Janey!", Dirk and Dave gave her congratulatory hug. "This calls for a good ole Strider style celebration.", Dirk called out. "Oh boy, what am I in for?", Jane asked.

* * *

"Alright boys, time to cut the cake.", Jane said walking into the Egbert's dining crowded room, carrying a large decorated cake. Jane wasn't too fond of the idea of a sword fighting, paintball war as an appropriate way to celebrate a time such as this. So, she talked the Striders into having a barbecue birthday cookout at the Egberts. Which the Egberts were more than happy to oblige.

Jane placed the cake infront of the Strider brothers at the end of table. Jane definitely lived up her family name. It was a large, two layer chocolate cake, decorated in the shape and likeness of record. With 31 candles around the rim for Dirk, and 14 candles in the center for Dave. In the circle of candles, in white icing it said 'Happy Birthday Dirk and Dave'.

"Wait wait wait, let me get a picture.", Jane said after she lit the candles. But it was too late. She caught the Strider brothers, with ironic rainbow party hats on top of their heads, for Dirk on top of his hat, already blowing out half the candles on their cake.

"The cake was delicious Jane.", Jake said as he shoved the last bite of his 3rd piece in his mouth. "My compliments to the chef.", Dirk added. Everyone in the room agreed. Even Chance was licking his plate; which resulted in him having black icing all over his head and face. "Janey if ya kep this up, Dirky here is gona hav ta liv at teh gym to keep up tha Strida phys-physique.", Roxy drunkenly said. "I don't think that'll be necessary, Rox.", Jane giggled as as she gave Dirk a kiss on the lips. "Yeah, Rox. Don't ya know that this body comes naturally.", Dirk gloated. "Come on now, let's open presents!", John said dragging Dave into the living room.

Dave told them that he didn't want presents. He said that being back with his bro safe and sound was greater than any gift. That still didn't deter his friends from getting him at least little something. John had gotten him two sweet video games that had just come out, and a new skate board. Jade had gave him a sweater that she hand knitted for him. She said it took her all year to make it for him. Her work definitely paid off, it was the coziest thing Dave ever put on his body. And Rose got him a box of assorted items; a few records, bags filled with his favorite candies, books that ranged from anywhere between about how to properly train dogs to everything you need to know about phycology. Yeah like he was gonna read any of those. A Coca-Cola pillow, and underneath everything, a long letter written in purple ink. Dave didn't really have the patience to read the whole thing right then, so he just skimmed a few lines and stuck it back in the box with the other stuff.

"Thank y'all so much for the gifts.", Dave said. "You're welcome!", all three kids engulfed Dave in a big group hug.

While the four kids were in their group hug, Dirk reminded himself that he had to give Jane her special present. And what place to give it to her than infront of all their closest friends.

"Jane?" "Yes?"

Dirk got down on one knee, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. It took Jane's mind a moment to click on what was actually happening.

"Jane Crocker, I can thank you or fully repay you enough for everything you've done in my life. You've brought my little man back to me and opened a man in me that I've never seen before. No matter what you may say, Dave and I are a family again thanks to you. However, someone is still missing. Will you complete our family Jane Crocker? Will you marry me?"

Dirk opened the box and revealed a white gold ring with a single, princess cut diamond in the center. It was his mother's wedding ring. Even though she never married, she had hoped to wear it to her own wedding someday. She eventually gave it Dirk, telling him to save it for the one true woman he loved.

Jane was in tears and at an almost complete loss for words. Almost. The only word she could mutter was "YES!"

Dirk was in tears as he finally slipped the long awaited ring on Jane's finger. It fit like a glove.

The entire room was ecstatic as the two kissed. Dave wasn't all too surprised. He's been wondering when his brother was gonna pop the question since they were in the hospital. "Well it's about time!", he called out. The whole room erupted in laughter.

"Congratulations!" and "We'd never thought we would see the day when Dirk Strider would actually get married." rang in the room for hours.

"I know it's a bit early, but when's the bid day gonna be?", Jake could help but ask. Jake could only stay in the states for a few more weeks, and he was NOT about to miss his best friends getting married. "I don't know?", Jane said, "What do you think honey? Jake's return flight leaves in a couple of weeks." "Uhhhh, soon?", Dirk answered. Typical Strider answer. "Hey, why not next weekend?", Rose chimed in, "You see, if you two get married next Saturday, that gives us about 10 days to prepare eveything. And Mr. English can still make it to his flight." "Next Saturday sounds good, doesn't it dear?" "Yeah."

"Okay, nex quesion. Were are you two tyin the knot?", Roxy asked. "Oh it doesn't really matter to me. We could get married at the courthouse for all I care. I was never into fancy weddings." "Courthouse sounds fine to me."

"WHAT? No way my girl is finally getting married in a courthouse! No no. Here's how it's gonna go down.", Roxy somehow managed to say sober, "You two are gonna get married at the beach. Don't worry about a thing, I'm gonna cover everything. You two just show up. I've been waiting on this day for a loonnnngggg time."

By the end of the night, they already had the wedding planned out.

Dirk and Jane were going to get married at the beach at 6:00 pm. Roxy, Rose, and Jade were going to be the brides maids. Dave, Jake, and John were going to be the grooms men. Dave was going to be his bro's best man.

It wasn't going to be anything too elaborate, just close friends and family. And they were going to have the reception at this hotel near the beach. It all sounded like a plan, but with Roxy Lalonde planning it, who knows how it will turn out. But she forgot about one thing, "Oh what about the cake!" Dave smiled, "Oh don't worry. We've got you covered. 'Cakes by The Hart' bakery in San Diego, California. A good friend of mine's parents run it." "Okay, who's the friend?", Roxy asked, writing everything down. "Timmy Hartman."

"Hello?", Timmy picked up. "Hey man, what's going on?", Dave replied. "Hey Dave! Everything's going good! How's everything going?" "Oh everything's going good. Hey remember in the hospital when your dad said to give them a call if Bro and Jane got married?" "Yeah." Dave waited a moment for it to click "Oh my God, they're getting married?" "Bro popped the question tonight." "OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD! MOM, DAD! DAVE'S BRO IS GETTING MARRIED!" Dave heard Timmy scream over the phone. Dave soon hears a female voice over the phone. "Hello David! Good to hear from you! So I hear you need a wedding cake?" "Hi Mrs. Hartman! Yes ma'am, I need one wedding cake." "Is your brother getting married to that nice young lady?" "Yes ma'am." "Oh that's wonderful! We will definitely be there! When is it?" "Next Saturday." "Okay dear. Any particular theme for color that you think that they'll like?" "Yeah, I'm gone have to let you talk to our friend Roxy about all that. She's planning everything." "Okay dear. It was wonderful being about to hear from you! See you at the wedding!" "Okay Mrs. Hartman. It was good hearing from you too! See ya later.", Dave said handing the phone over to Roxy.

Done, everything was planned out and ready to be put into action. Roxy got the cake ordered and it was to be delivered by the Hartman's themselves. She ordered a three tier, square yellow cake, with white icing and blue and red icing ribbons around it. All they needed to do know was book everything, and pick out the dresses and tuxes.

After all the jitters had died down and everybody was about to go home, Jane had only last thing she had to say. "Dirk, Dave, I want to adopt to Dave. So we all can officially be a family and so that I can be the mother that Dave deserves. I want to be his mother!" Jane's decree almost brought Dirk to tears. Dave never had a mother, and just Jane being here with them, she was already like the mother Dave never had. "What do you say, Little Man?", Dirk wiped the tears from his eyes. "I'd be honored.", Dave said, embracing Jane in a huge hug. Jane felt tears forming in her eyes. She knew that she could never replace Dave's real mother, but she would definitely be the best mother she could be. "My son.", Jane said wrapping her arms around her new son. "Our family.", Dirk added in wrapping his two strong arms around the two. The whole room burst into tears and embraced the trio in one big group hug.

* * *

The next day, the three returned to the courthouse and signed the adoption papers. It was now official, Jane Crocker was now legally Dave Strider's mother.

While they were there, they got the for the upcoming trail in suing Dave's now old social worker. It was to be in a few days.

"I find favor in the plaintiff Dirk Strider and Jane Crocker against the

defendant Victoria Daniels, for harassment and abuse of power. I award the plaintiff of $300,000 for compensation and I here by revoke Ms. Daniels license to work in the social services. This case is dismissed.", the judge said, banging the goblet. It was over, it was finally over! They won! That social worker could never make any contact with them and will never ruin another family ever again. The Striders were ecstatic. The ruling couldn't have come at a more perfect time. They were just fixing to begin their new life together, and $300,000 would certainly get the family a long way.

The days were ticking down and they finally got everything arranged for the wedding. Roxy got the call from the Hartmans that the cake was ready. Roxy had got the hotel and beach front booked. She and Jane picked out red dresses for the brides maids and for the bride herself, a long, sleeveless white gown with a red sash around the waist. Simply, yet elegant, just like Jane.

The bouquet was to be a dozen white roses, with a single red rose in the middle.

And the men would have black tuxes, with an orange shirt to Dirk, a red shirt for Dave, a green shirt for Jake, and a blue shirt for John.

* * *

The big day had finally arrived! For a wedding that Roxy Lalonde had planned, who probably hadn't been sober a day in her life since she was 15, everything was surprisingly in place. The Hartmans had just arrived with the cake and everything else was in place. At least the wedding was.

Dirk paced nervously in the hotel room he had stayed in that night. Due to the age old cardinal sin of not being able to see the bride the day before the wedding, he had been a nervous wreck. "Oh man, this it it. This is really it! I'm finally getting married to the woman I've had a crush on since I was 13. Oh man! What if I blow it? Come on Strider, get ahold of yourself!", Dirk said as he mentally slapped himself.

"Oh my gosh! I can't believe that this is it! I'm finally getting married! To the man I've had the biggest crush on since I was 13! Okay Jane you have to calm down. You're going to make all your makeup sweat off.", Jane said looking in her mirror.

"Hey Bro, you ready let? Everybody's waiting", Dave said, knocking on Dirk's door. "Yeah, yeah I'm ready Little Man.", Dirk said walking out of his room. "Come on. Let's go, Bro."

Jane looked out her window and saw both Dirk and Dave walk out onto the beach and take their places. She heard a knock at her door, "Come on Janey. Let's get this party started.", Roxy said with a martini glass in her hand. "Oh Rox...", Jane smiled and shoot her head. It was time to get the show on the road.

Roxy run ahead and take her place behind Jade. Everyone waited for the bride. Since Jane's father had long since passes, Mr. Egbert took the honor of walking Jane down the aisle. Suddenly music started playing and everyone turned and faced the aisle. Dirk turned around and saw his beautiful, blushing bride. He felt liked he was looking at an angel. There she was, walking down the aisle to take him as his wife, holding onto the arm of the man who had been like a father to all of them. He felt his knees get weak when she took his arm at alter, while Mr. Egbert took his seat next to the Hartmans.

"Barely beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two in Holy matrimony. Do you Jane Crocker, take this man, Dirk Strider, as your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to hold, for as long as you both shall live?" "I do.", Jane said. "Do you Dirk Strider, take this woman Jane Crocker, as you lawfully wedded wife. To love and to hold, for as long as you both shall love?" "You bet.", Dirk smiled. Jane smiled. "By the power invested in me by the state of Texas, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Jane pulled off Dirk's iconic sunglasses, looking into each other's eyes, the two kissed as man and wife.

The two walked the aisle, followed by Dave and Jade, Roxy and Jake, and Rose and John. Mr. Egbert and the Hartmans followed them all into hotel from the reception.

"Man, that cake was good Timmy!", Dave said. "A little dash of Hart in every bite.", Timmy recited their bakery's motto. Dave laughed. All the kids sat at one table, while all the adults sat at another one. It wasn't a big reception by no means. Literally just them.

"Alright everyone. Thank you all for coming!", Jane said as the reception ended. Jane gave everyone a hug and graciously thanked them for coming. She thanked the Hartmans for coming all the way over to bring their cake. They all promised that they would keep in touch. But before anyone left, there was one last thing that needed to be done.

Jane turned around and through her bouquet into the air. She through it alittle too good. It landed right in Jade Harley's lap, who was conveniently sitting right next to Dave. Everyone turned around and laughed. "Well, it looks like we'll be making you guys cake next.", Timmy jokingly said. Dave and Jade turned to each other and blushed.

When everyone started to leave, Dave saw Dirk and Jane sneak off their room.

"There's a high possibility that I'm going to be an uncle by the end of the night."

* * *

Did anybody else get hungry for cake? I did.

Hey, I posted a poll on my page that asks which Homestuck idea that you guys would like to hear next. If you guys go by there and pop in a vote, I'd greatly appreciate it. Let me know what you guys think.


	30. Epilogue: 3 Years Later

This is the last chapter you guys, and from the very bottom of my heart; I would like to thank you all, so SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much for everything! You guys are so awesome and I love you all! Thank you so much for sticking with me throughout the whole thing! And thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews! Thank you to everyone who favorited and subscribed to this story! Just thank you all so sooooooo much!

This is the first real story, that I can honestly say, that I have ever completed! And it is all thanks to you guys!

* * *

Chapter 30: Epilogue: 3 years later

"Okay Dave, that's a wrap. You can call it a day now."

"Are you sure? I couldn't have gone any higher on that last verse?", a now 16 year old Dave said taking off his head phones.

"Nah, you're good. Everything sounded great.", a man from behind a glass window. "Alright."

"Man you've been working over time. That's the fourth song this week.", the man said, handing Dave a bottle of water as he walked out of the recording studio. "Thanks man. I'm trying to get this album out before school starts back." "Keep this up, and you'll be releasing more than one." Dave smirked a little. "Well I gotta get going, Bro gotta go soon and Mom should be home anytime." "Okay well, you better get going then. And tell your folks I said hi." "Will do Mark.", Dave waved bye to his manager Mark Paige as he exited the studio.

Dave was working his butt off to get this album released before school started back. It would be his third album since he started singing professionally when he was 14. He had jokingly told Dirk that he had written up enough songs to make an album. Dirk told him that a guy named Mark Paige frequented the club that Dirk worked at was looking to sign him, and he told Dave that he would talk to him the next time he came in. Dave thought he was kidding. He wasn't kidding. His debut album, 'Bullseye', coined after the bullet hole in chest, was released on October 3rd. On the one year anniversary of the day that changed all their lives forever. And oh man did he literally never hear the end of it at school the next day. After that, he started releasing his albums during the summer so when he went back to school, he wouldn't be bombarded like he was when he released his first album. It was working.

School, oh boy. When Jade told him that he was in for it when he first came back to school after he was abducted, she wasn't kidding. Dave received a heroes welcome when he finally returned to school. Dave might as well have went to school that day covered in magnets, cause from the moment he stepped back into that building to when Dirk picked him up from school; he was literally covered in people. His locker had had writing like 'We love you Dave' and 'We miss you' were all over it, when he opened it he was greeted by a nice avalanche of notes and poems. He saved everyone of them, and now resided in a box under his bed.

Dave got in his red Mustang GT, the gift from his 16th birthday from Dirk and Jane, and drove off towards home. His home was in a different location than it was 3 years ago, much different. With the $300,000 Dirk got back from the settlement, they were able to move into a much nicer home. A good sized, craftsman about a block or two from the Egberts.

The Egberts, after the whole ordeal, have grown closer to the Striders than most families. They might as have been family in Dave's eyes. Dave's ordeal made them all realize just how much they meant to each other, and how precious life truly was.

Dave did eventually tell John what all happened, well at least to what his memory served him. It all seemed like such a blur now. He was sad and a little angry at first. But when Dave explained everything, told him why he didn't tell him at first; he understood, and was thankful that Dave waited to tell him when HE was ready to hear it. John didn't think that he could have handled the news of his best friend being kidnapped, shot, and raped all at once. And ever since then, John and Dave have grown closer than most siblings.

Dave, Dirk, and Jane were now living happily as a family in their new house, living new lives. After Dirk went back to DJing after his and Jane's honeymoon, he had worked and improved his craft to point where he was now topping charts and made a name for himself as one of the best DJs in the country. He even opened up his own club downtown called 'TG'. Like Dave, he had even made several albums, and provided most of the music in Dave's albums.

At her new position at the FBI headquarters in Houston, Texas, Jane was the overseer of the child abuse and sex crime department. Since she started their, she helped bring down at least 50 brothels and child sex rings all along North America and overseas. She had even set up an organization called 'David's Chance', to rescue and recuperate the victims of sexual slavery all around the world.

And no, Dave wasn't an uncle, yet.

Dave pulled up to the house and saw that he had beaten Jane home. He opened the door and was immediately met by a very familiar fury face. "Hey Chance!", Dave bent down and ruffled his fury head. Chance had grown from little wagging ball of fluff, to a lean, not-so-mean, smuppet killing machine. Dave could have sworn he had at least a dozen of them buried in the back yard. Jane was right about animals helping children recuperate. With Chance around, Dave just seemed to be happier. And it was really showing. He was calmer and more understanding.

"Is that you Little Man?", Dirk called out from the kitchen. "Hey Bro, yeah it's me.", Dave said as he walk into the kitchen, and busted out laughing. There stood his bro, by the stove, in an apron. "What?", Dirk said, turning around. Since Jane worked during the day, and Dirk worked at night, Dirk had decided to take care of the chores around the house for her during the day. And sometimes that included cooking. And most of those sometimes, he should have let Jane take care of when she got home. Dirk had to admit it, he wasn't the best cook. But hey, it's the thought that counts right?

"What abomination did you conjure up this time?", Dave said looking over a pot of God knows what. "Atleast I never set the microwave on fire." "THAT WAS JUST ONCE THANK YOU!"

"Boys! I'm home!", Jane called enthusiastically as she walked in the door. "Hey Mom!", Dave gave her hug. Dave had started calling Jane 'Mom' after she adopted him. Even though it took him a while to get used to, he felt she deserved it.

"Hey sweetheart.", Jane hugged him and kissed him on the forehead, "How was your day?" "Good. Bro is cooking up a science experiment in the kitchen." "Oh Lord." "What? It doesn't look that bad.", Dirk said as Jane walked into the kitchen. "Oh honey.", she said as she looked down at the pot, "As much as I appreciate you trying to help cook. Some people that are just better at somethings than other people. No offense.", Jane said kissing Dirk on the lips. "None taken.", Dirk smiled.

After Jane washed up, she prepared a rather delicious meal for them in a matter of no time.

"That was delicious Jane!", Dirk said leaning back in his his, picking his teeth. Jane smiled, "Is it good Dave?" "Yes ma'am!", Dave said, shoving the remaining bites into his mouth. "I'm glad my boys enjoyed it.", Jane smiled, as she and Dirk gathered the plates from the table.

"Hey, Little Man, you got a letter from Tonya in the mail today. I put it on your desk in your room.", Dirk said as he loaded the last of the dishes into the dish washer. "Okay, thank's Bro."

When Dave was still in the hospital, he asked Jane what was gonna happen to Tonya. She told him that she will be put in jail for her part in the sex ring. But, she told him, since she cooperated with the FBI and gave them as much information as she could, her sentence was reduced dramatically from 15-20 years in prison to under 10. She ended up getting 5. Ever since she was sentenced, her and Dave have been sending each other letters to keep in touch and had grown to be good friends. Dave can never thank her enough for helping him escape that fateful day. If it weren't for her, he was sure that he would be dead.

Dave walked into his bedroom, followed by Chance, opened the letter waiting for him. On the envelope it read:

Tonya Daniels Inmate Number#0847391

Washington State Women's Correctional Facility

_Hey Dave,_

_How's it going? Still breakin' them hearts? How's your next album coming along? I got the first two, I can't wait for the next one. I'm sure it'll be worth the wait just like the last ones. They always are._

_So, how is everything going? How is your brother and Jane doing? I hope everything is going well._

_Everything is going good here. I was offered parole, but I turned it down. I told them that I should be in here longer than I am. That I deserved to be in here. I don't know how I'll ever be able to forgive myself for what I've done. I hope you've forgiven me. Even though I don't deserve it._

_I've made a few friends in here. Patricia, my cellmate, is my closest one. She's in here for drug possession, accessory to child abuse and neglect, she got 15. She has a son, about 12 I think. She said her ex-husband was abusing her son and she couldn't stop him. So she went to drugs to help dull the pain, she says, of the fact that her man was hurting her baby and she couldn't do anything about it._

_It really hit home. All those years, I was that woman. Just standing by, watching kid after kid come there, and not doing a damn thing but watch as innocent lives were destroyed._

_But now, I stand refusing to see another child suffer. I wanna to help people when I get out of here Dave. I wanna tell them how they can get help out of the sex ring. Talk to people how have been abused. Being there, being here helped me see people for who they really are. Both the good and the bad._

_When I get out I want to come see you. I want to tell you personally how sorry I am for all the things I've done. For being that woman who just stood by._

_See ya in 2 years,_

_Tonya_

After reading the letter, Dave pinned it up on his board on the wall facing his desk, along with all the other letters Tonya sent him, and the letter that Rose had written him on his 14th birthday.

After pinning to the board, he pulled out a piece of paper and began writing.

_Hey Tonya,_

_Sorry, I haven't written in a while. I've been busy getting this next album ready. The album's called 2nd Chances. I'll send you a copy when it comes out._

_But everything is going good. Bro and Mom are doing good. I wish you could've been at the wedding._

_Bro's still topping charts, and Mom's still working on cases. Since she started here in Houston, she helped bring down over 50 brothels all over the country and I think overseas too._

_Bro started this club downtown called TG, after my screen name on Pesterchum, Turntech Godhead. You should see that place on when it's open. When the place first opened up, the lines were back up a block away!_

_And Tonya, how many times have we been over this? YOU DO DESERVE PAROLE! I know you feel like you don't , but you do! You helped us escape! If it weren't for you, I would be dead and so would my Bro! So don't you dare say you deserve to be in there with criminals!_

_Tonya, I'm going to tell you something that my good friend Timmy told me. The first step to feeling is forgiveness. If you don't have forgiveness in your heart, you will always be angry. You will always hurt, and you will never heal. You will always be a victim. I refused to stay a victim, and turned my heart over to forgiveness. If I didn't forgive Tonya, I can't guarantee that I would be who I am, the man I have become, today._

_When you get out, I want to be the first person you see on the outside. I want to help you, and I will do everything I can to help you. I can get Mom to help you become the spokeswoman for her organization. It's a start, and I'm sure you're gonna go far and help as many people as you can._

_And I WILL see you later,_

_Dave_

Like he and Tonya, Dave and Timmy had grown be to become close friends. They sent emails to each other every now and then and sent each other birthday presents. Timmy finally decided what he wanted to when he grew up, an author. He wanted to write about his experiences and about the sex trafficking. How people can get out of it. And how you can people in sex slavery. He told Dave he wanted to write about him in his first book. How his bravery saved them that day, how, in the end, overcame being a victim. He already came up with a name for it, 'The Boy with The Crimson Red Eyes'. Dave thought it was kinda cheesy; but hey, whatever floated the kid's boat.

Even after everything, Dave would be lying if he said it still didn't hurt sometimes. The physical pain was long gone, but the emotional pain still made it's presence know. Whoever said 'times heals all wounds' as lying his ass off. No, time doesn't heal all wounds, it just makes it easier to live with. But still. He still had nights where he would be awoken from nightmares of long faded memories. Sometimes when he wanted to get romantic with his girlfriend Jade, every touch would bring a flinch. And the one thing he could NEVER get back, his innocence. His childhood innocence was shattered that day. It hurt, somedays it just hurt to get out of bed in the morning. But on those days, he pushed through and reminded himself of what he has beaten. He wasn't about to crawl in a corner, curl up in a little ball and feel sorry for himself for the rest of his life. He wanted to show the world what he has overcome.

Dave hated what happened to him, but he couldn't help but feel that if it never happen, than he, THEY, wouldn't have become who they are today.

"Little Man.", Dirk knocked on his bedroom door, "I'm fixing to go to work. Come give me hug." "Yeah what you call work.", Dave said opening the door, hugging his brother. "Hey, it's dirty job. But somebody's gotta do it." "Show 'em who's boss Bro!" "Will do Little Man. Love ya.", Dirk patted Dave on the back. "Love you too Bro."

"Bye honey, love you.", Jane said kissing Dirk before he walked out the door. "Love you too. Keep an eye out for my Little Man.", Dirk kissed her back. "I always do."

These past three years had been the best years if Dirk Strider's life, so far. He had his baby brother with him and he had the love of his life by his side. What more really could a man ask for? His and Dave's relationship took a complete 180 after everything had happened. Before, the two would be surprised if they spoke to each other, or saw each other for that matter, more than once a day. Now, Dirk can't stand the thought of him not knowing where his little man is at if he's not with him. Even if he's in the other room, Dirk still can't help but worry about him. They were closer now than every before. That week before the custody court date, when that bitch of a social worker thought that she could take Dave away from him, Dirk literally did not let Dave leave his sight for a moment. He was literally carrying him everywhere he went. Jane told him that Dave was gonna forget how to walk if he didn't put him down. When that verdict was laid down, he could finally breathe easily again. Knowing that his brother, his baby, would forever be in his arms.

As he was driving to his club, Dirk couldn't help but ask himself, before all this ever happen, how long had it been since he was happy? How long had it been since he felt secure? How long had it been since he smiled? Not a half hearted smirk, but a true blue, from the heart smile? Years, since he first held Dave in his arms after his birth. Even though his mother, who had been the only person he ever loved at the time, was gone; he still had his baby brother. Alive and well in his arms, that was the only thing he needed. Before Dave was rescued, that was the last time Dirk could recall that he actually smiled.

Dirk hated to say it, but he felt like if all that, if everything that they had been through never happened, than they wouldn't be who they are today. All the happiness and joy and accomplishments that they experienced would have never happen. He was sure Dave felt the same way.

Everything happens for a reason. And at first, you may not understand what that reason is, but in time, you will.

* * *

I still have my poll up on which Homestuck idea that you would like to hear next. I'll leave it up for 2 more weeks. So if you guys stop by, and cast in a vote, I'd appreciate it. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU WANNA HEAR NEXT!

Again, thank you guys so much for all the support you guys have given me by reviewing, favoriting, or subscribing to this story!

This is Autumn Artist, signing out.


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